Candidates Survey: What the Upper House candidates told Our Place about their voting intentions

by | May 12, 2025

For the 2024 elections, we published the results of our candidates’ survey. Many of you found it a useful guide, so we have done the same this year to help those voting in three Upper House electorates on Saturday 24 May. And we asked the candidates one simple question: If elected, will you vote for construction of an AFL stadium at Macquarie Point?

This is how they responded, with results displayed in alphabetical order and exactly as they were written:

Nelson

All three candidates completed the survey.

Marcus Vermey – Liberal Yes

It is not just a stadium, it’s in injection to show that the state is open to business.

It will boost the economy in Kingbrough with the HPC, encouraging future generations.

The entertainment center will boost jobs, tourism, , economy, encourage people to invest in Tasmania.and keep people here in the state.
Nathan Volf – The Greens No A vote for the Greens is a guaranteed vote against the stadium.
Meg Webb MLC – Independent No I support a Tasmanian AFL team, but it should not be contingent upon an AFL-demanded stadium at Macquarie Point. The proposed stadium is utterly unsuitable – grossly overpowering the Sullivans Cove historic character, impacting Cenotaph sightlines and sense of place, decimating world-class TSO work in the Federation Concert Hall. The AFL-demanded stadium at Macquarie Point is fiscally irresponsible; has very serious, unresolvable public safety & environmental issues; & is not a priority for the majority of Tasmanians. Premier Rockliff signed up for this AFL-demanded stadium without Cabinet, Parliament or community approval; trashing good governance & transparent, democratic decision-making.

Montgomery

Two of the five candidates did not complete the survey.

Darren Briggs –
The Greens		 No Tassie deserves an AFL team. But why should the North West pay for a billion-dollar plus stadium in Hobart? Health, education, and housing are already underfunded and buckling under pressure. Building the Hobart stadium will mean more cuts to these critical areas. I will vote to base the team at York Park, to scrap the Hobart stadium, and to invest in community needs instead.
Gatty Burnett – Tasmanians Now No (no comment)
Adrian Pickin –
Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party		 No Opposing the Macquarie Point AFL stadium isn’t about being anti-footy—it’s about common sense. Spending $1.2 billion on a stadium in the wrong place, when York Park in Launceston already exists and could be expanded, just doesn’t add up. It’s illogical and short-sighted. Imagine how far that money could go if invested in housing, hospitals, schools, regional roads, or local sporting facilities across Tasmania, including Montgomery. We need to prioritise what really matters to our communities.

Pembroke

Only one of the five candidates did not complete the survey.

Carly Allen –
The Greens		 No Tassie deserves its own AFL team — but not at the cost of being extorted by the AFL or intimidated by a Premier who’s ignoring community voices. We’re heading toward $16 billion in debt by 2035. Footy should be about mateship, fairness, and pride — not political spin and billion-dollar deals that don’t stack up. We already have two stadiums; we don’t need a third, especially with all the planning issues and a price tag we simply cannot afford. With Labor voting with the Liberals 90% of the time, it’s never been more important to stand up for what’s right.
Steve Loring – Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party No Tasmania’s priorities are broken. With families struggling through a cost-of-living crisis and a housing emergency, the last thing we need is a $1.2 billion stadium—a reckless vanity project that will burden taxpayers for decades. The Premier promised not to spend a cent beyond $375 million, yet here we are. Even worse, the opposition has rolled over instead of fighting this waste. We must invest in homes, healthcare, and real needs—not an unaffordable stadium. I cannot, in good conscience, support this betrayal of Tasmanians who deserve better leadership.
Tony Mulder –
Independent		 Uncommitted

I was originally in favour due to the wider economic benefits of a multi-purpose stadium. However, as time goes on, I am increasingly frustrated by the failure to take advice or respond to criticism of the project and flip flopping on process, with the latest debacle being the draft Planning Commission Report.

If elected I will use the opportunity to inform myself through briefings on how we have got to where we are and vote accordingly.
Allison Ritchie –
Independent		 Uncommitted

I support our team and a stadium but not unconditionally.

The Government will need to detail the full cost, the impact on the State budget and provide assurance all the concerns raised by the Tasmanian Planning Commission will be addressed.

The enabling legislation is yet to be seen and the Parliament will have a duty to fully consider the legislation on its merits. Any decision I make will be in the best interests of Tasmania and based on evidence demonstrating whether a stadium can be built on the proposed site and assessing the Government’s plans to pay for it.

Before this campaign is over, there will be many more parliamentary votes taken on a variety of questions determining the future of the Mac Point precinct and how much Tasmanians are prepared to forego to secure State AFL/W teams.

We encourage votes for candidates who want to deliver a Mac Point site with amenities for all Tasmanians, while AFL is played at existing grounds. We encourage votes for candidates who believe in a sustainable budget, integrity in government and proper planning process. Electing three new members who have pledged to stand with us will make all the difference when crucial votes are taken in the future.

Where candidates have failed to respond, we are legally unable to report their position but we have serious doubts about their level of commitment to democratic process. For both the Liberal Party and the Labor Party, we know that they publicly advocate for a stadium at Macquarie Point. For all candidates, we have included links to sites that will give you more information about them.

More Information

We encourage you to do your own homework. And we recommend that, where you are considering parking your vote with a candidate who will vote NO to a stadium, you take the time to find out more about their other views. 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.

Vote to spend our money on houses and healthcare, not a stadium!

Vote to ensure fair and democratic decisions about critical planning matters!

Get to know who is standing for the Legislative Council on 24 May 2025

Learn more about the candidates using these links:

Nelson

Montgomery

Pembroke