What the candidates in Clark told Our Place about their voting intentions
Over the past two months people from every corner of the state have taken a pledge to exercise their vote to put the health and welfare of all Tasmanians before the arrogant demands of the AFL.
To help you honour that pledge, we asked every candidate one simple question:
If elected, will you vote for the use of public funds (costing $ hundreds of millions) for construction of a new stadium for AFL in Tasmania?
This is how they responded:
| Kristie Johnston – Independent | No | I will continue to oppose the use of public funds to build a stadium. This stadium is wrong on every front. Its brutal form disrespects our precious waterfront and the cenotaph. It will suck taxpayers’ money away from essential services such as health, housing, education, and transport. In signing the AFL deal the Government has effectively written a blank cheque to build a stadium that has no design detail, no proper business case, and no supporting infrastructure. Tasmania should have its own AFL Team, but we shouldn’t be blackmailed into spending over a billion dollars for the privilege. |
| Ben Lohberger – Independent | No | I support a Tasmanian AFL team, but I cannot support an unnecessary stadium. Not under any circumstances. |
| Vica Bayley – Greens | No | The Tasmanian Greens do not support the investment of many hundreds of millions taxpayer dollars in the construction of a new stadium in Tasmania. Tasmania has several stadiums in which AFL, and other sports, are routinely played. While we strongly support an AFL and ALFW team, we believe they should play in the existing stadiums and be based in Launceston. York Park is one of the best playing surfaces in the country and has hosted AFL games for well over a decade. The Greens support the pledged $130 m upgrade to York Park and have formally proposed it be the ‘Home of football’. |
| Helen Burnet – Greens | No | The Tasmanian Greens do not support the investment of many hundreds of millions taxpayer dollars in the construction of a new stadium in Tasmania. Tasmania has several stadiums in which AFL, and other sports, are routinely played. While we strongly support an AFL and ALFW team, we believe they should play in the existing stadiums and be based in Launceston. York Park is one of the best playing surfaces in the country and has hosted AFL games for well over a decade. The Greens support the pledged $130 m upgrade to York Park and have formally proposed it be the ‘Home of football’. |
| Sue Hickey – Independent | Uncommitted | I think the govt proposal is poorly thought out. I am open minded to V2.0 for the public/private partnerships, wide open spaces, hospital, restaurants, hotel, ie income producing things…like a conference centre. It has the support of RSL, Trams Museum and Regatta ASSn and Hobart City Council. It still needs rigorous investigation. |
| Lorraine Bennett – Shooters, Fishers & Farmers | No | The football stadium we have are not full when we have a game here. We are against the Stadium. However we are fully behind a Tasmanian team |
| Adrian Pickin – Shooters, Fishers & Farmers | No | The Macquarie point stadium has been a poorly designed process from the start, still too many unknowns and hidden costs . There should be a thorough investigation into the feasibility of utilising York park and consideration for a rectangle pitched stadium, I am supportive a Tasmanian Aussie Rules team, a Tasmanian football team and a Tasmanian rugby team, however with due diligence and public consultation |
| Stefan Vogel – Independent | No | I support a Tasmanian AFL team and Tasmania currently has sufficient facilities on which AFL is played. Tasmania at the same time has more urgent needs such as housing, public transport and road infrastructure, health care including mental health care and education then spending about $140,000 per additional seat to increase stadium capacity by from 20,000 to 25,000. There are also unresolved issues such as suitability of the site from both a geotechnical and transport infrastructure perspective as an the terms of contract which unilaterally burden Tasmanians. |
| Angela Triffitt – Independent | No | I believe that we can have our afl team without the debt-ridden stadium and am disappointed that the current Premier signed such a dangerous contract from the bullying-AFL. Yes to a Team, but NO to the Stadium. As a small state without big business we are incapable of addressing crucial priorities of health, housing, homelessness, education, and transport (an inexhaustible list) AND building and maintaining this suggested/contracted stadium. |
| Sam Campbell – Local Network | Uncommitted | This is a decision I believe must be put to the voting public to decide. I can empathise with the desire for an AFL team (a long-term dream for a lot of people), but as to the stadium in its current iteration I believe an electors poll or even state referendum should be held for whether. Hopefully this gives you a sense of where I currently stand. I am, to my chagrin, not a follower of AFL and personally believe that sum of money could be “better” spent elsewhere on more pressing issues coming into Winter. |
| John Forster – Independent | Yes | While I am a yes, I do acknowledge the project carries significant risks and costs. However opportunities like this do not come along every day and the a chance to secure a world class stadium and an AFL team is one that I think we should jump at. |
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Some questions you may be pondering:
What if I vote for the Liberal Party?
In your electorate (and in every electorate around the State), every Liberal Party candidate failed to respond. We know the Liberal Party publicly advocates for a stadium at Macquarie Point. For more information on their position, we looked to the Premier’s Media Conference of 15 February and his undertaking to cap stadium spending at $375M. Click below to refresh your memory on our thoughts about that.
What if I vote for the Labor Party?
Across the entire state, only two ALP candidates took the time to respond. One ticked the NO box and one ticked the UNCOMMITTED box – not a reflection of a tightly held party position. Again, we looked to the stated party position – to renegotiate the deal. On 12th March 2024 the Labor leader announced her party would see how the AFL Team went before committing to a stadium. This leaves the door open for a decision to be made in favour of a stadium in Hobart at any point in time the ALP – if in government – decides is the right time. In light of continuing AFL arrogance and intransigence, we wonder whether a vote for Labor might turn out to be a vote for a stadium?
What if I vote for one of the minor parties?
Minor party candidates were more responsive than either of the majors.
We recommend that, when reading the results for the minor parties, you ensure that the candidate’s comments are consistent with their declared position. And, as with the Labor responses, have an eye to the party’s capacity to hold a consistent line.
Most of the minor parties have websites you can visit that set out policy positions on other issues that are important to you. Beware fake sites – some groups have stooped pretty low in this campaign and created sites in the name of other parties setting out fake policy positions. And while the Our Place campaign is about a stadium, we would not encourage people to vote for NO STADIUM parties that hold other policy positions likely to cause harm to Tasmanian communities or individuals.
What if I vote for an Independent?
It was only amongst the Independents that we found any YES responses.
As with the minor party candidates we recommend that, when reading the results, you ensure that the candidate’s comments are consistent with their declared position (e.g. you decide if a NO sits comfortably with: “I support a more moderate plan for a Hobart stadium, or perhaps the privatised model … ”).
And we recommend that, where you are considering parking your vote with an Independent who will vote NO for a stadium, you take the time to find out more about them. Our campaign is about a stadium but we would not encourage people to vote for NO STADIUM candidates who hold other policy positions likely to cause harm to Tasmanian communities or individuals.