The appointment of a new Metro Tasmania director with specialist experience in mergers, acquisitions and restructuring business does nothing to quell concerns that the government is moving to privatise the state’s major public transport provider.

The appointment follows the Liberals’ GBE reform proposal which revealed the government was actively investigating the privatisation of transport and energy related businesses.

Transport Minister Eric Abetz also notably declined to rule out privatising Metro during Government Business Enterprise committee hearings last week.

Metro has already been forced to cut hundreds of services and will no doubt slash even more if put into private hands.

Public transport is meant to be an essential public service, yet under the Liberals Metro has been driven into the ground and drivers are at breaking point as they fight for better working conditions.

The last thing the Metro workforce needs right now is the threat of privatisation hanging over its head.

Meg Brown MP
Shadow Minister for Transport