Madeleine Ogilvie has been forced to sensationally walk back the Liberals’ UTAS Freeze Legislation – which has been exposed as nothing more than a desperate attempt to win votes in Sandy Bay at the expense of education, housing and jobs.
Announcing their position in February, the Liberals said they would ban the University of Tasmania from selling off land at its Sandy Bay campus.
This week, Ms Ogilvie has sensationally tried to deny the new laws were designed to prevent the sale of the campus, saying “There is nothing stopping UTAS disposing of the land which was gifted to them by the government”.
Nothing, except for the very legislation they tabled – which freezes the University’s assets and prevents the development of world-class educational facilities and blocks nearly 2,000 new houses.
It is becoming clearer and clearer this policy was designed for nothing more than to secure votes in Sandy Bay.
It’s unbelievable that Jeremy Rockliff still wants to stand in the way of a $500 million science and technology facility and 2,000 new homes. The legislation is embarrassing and should be abandoned.
Mercury front page, 27 February 2024:
Sarah Lovell MLC
Shadow Minister for Education & Early Years