Our Place – Hobart has responded to revelations about deals done between the government and some Upper House members to secure their votes for the passage of the Macquarie Point Stadium Order.
Spokesperson Roland Browne said:
“These deals are laughable. They rely on this government honouring its word, a most unlikely outcome.
“Have these Upper House members forgotten the Premier’s promise to politicians that the Teams were not linked to a stadium? Have they forgotten the promise of ‘not a red cent more than $375m’? Have they forgotten the stadium was to be funded by private equity? Have they forgotten the assurance to the RSL that the stadium was to be no more than 40 m high?
Most importantly, there’s no accountability and no consequence if the governments falls short on the commitments it has actually offered.
Premier Rockliff’s Christmas present to Tasmania are AFL/AFLW teams at a cost of around $2.5 billion, and the desecration of the Hobart Cenotaph and destruction of the heritage of Sullivans Cove. It is a recipe for ongoing division.
While Parliament can permit the stadium to be built, it cannot legislate reality to be different. And at some point, reality will doom this unaffordable stadium. The problems will grow to engulf all Tasmanians. None of our political leaders can say they were not warned. And as these problems grow, so too will the endless financial consequences.
Because the problems will worsen, the campaign against the stadium will continue.
