Media Release
Monday 6 May 2024
Roland Browne said “The fix is in. Dean Winter’s expected back flip on the stadium and his backing of Paul Lennon’s stadium proposal in the same media statement makes very clear that it is not him, but Paul Lennon who is now running the Labor Party.”
“By offering in principle support to the idea of a stadium, Mr Winter is seeking to set up the grounds for his party to deliver to Paul Lennon support for his stadium v2 proposal once the Rockliff stadium is found by the Planning Commission or any independent review to be unworkable. It stinks.”
“If Mr Winter was serious about Tasmanian jobs – as he claims to be – why not spend that $700 million on health and housing where it is desperately needed, instead of a stadium?”
Describing the Lennon stadium proposal as the biggest land grab in recent Tasmanian history, Mr Browne said “Tasmanians who remember the trashing of parliament, democracy and regulatory process that went on during the failed attempt to get up Gunns’ billion-dollar pulp mill in the 2000s will be understandably frightened.”
“Dean Winter is now serving Paul Lennon who has said he wants $700 million of Tasmanian taxpayers’ money as well as all of Macquarie Point and Regatta Point for him and his colleagues to develop for private profit as they see fit. It’s one huge con job. Paul Lennon led Labor to disaster many years ago and he’s about to do the same again. Tasmanians made it clear in the last election they don’t want this stadium and the Labor Party vote will only go further backwards in the next election and pave the way for the cross bench to become the major force in the Tasmanian parliament,” said Mr Browne.
Describing the new Labor leader as “A Lennon in Winter” prominent stadium opponent Richard Flanagan said, “It is a very dark day for the Tasmanian Labor Party when it is once more reduced to being no more than the political vehicle for Paul Lennon’s personal greed and ambitions. The Tasmanian people do not want this stadium and the Tasmanian people will prevail.”