It’s clear the Premier has learned nothing from the last 10 days because he is still not being open and honest with the Parliament and the people of Tasmania.
He was clearly asked twice today on what date he requested the Federal Government $240 million grant for Macquarie Point be exempted from our pot of GST money.
He deliberately didn’t answer the question on both occasions because he won’t be honest and state what is fact: that he didn’t ask for an exemption until after the $240 million was announced and until after we asked the question in Parliament on May 9.
You can imagine the mad scrambling in the Premier’s office to get the letter off to the Federal Treasurer after question time on May 9.
Given the nature of the $240 million grant it won’t be exempted and the Tasmanian taxpayer will be on the hook for the entire cost of the Premier’s billion-dollar taxpayer funded stadium.
The Premier also failed to answer whether or not his Treasurer had even seen the deal before it was signed, and whether the deal was approved by cabinet.
It’s clear that his Treasurer and Deputy Premier, along with his cabinet, was kept in the dark throughout this whole dodgy process.
The incompetence of this government is breathtaking and the Premier has been caught out, again.
Shane Broad MP
Shadow Treasurer