Premier Rockliff owes Tasmanians an explanation after being caught out yet again giving public money to friends of the Liberal Party outside any open or proper process.
In February, the Premier promised $1.2 million to the New Norfolk Distillery, requiring the business to only contribute $500,000.
The New Norfolk Distillery’s Director Tarrant Derksen’s brother was a Liberal candidate for Lyons at the last State election and is employed in Guy Barnett’s office.
At a time when Jeremy Rockliff is telling Tasmanians to brace for a tough budget, and when businesses around Tasmania are suffering thanks to his broken promise on power prices, it is not acceptable for the Premier to be picking winners and handing out public money to friends of the Liberal Party.
When given the opportunity in Parliament this morning to explain to Tasmanians what process was followed to allocate so much money to a business with ties to the Liberal Party, the Premier refused to do so.
This government has been under continued scrutiny, including from the state’s Integrity Commission, over the rorting of public funds without due process, including millions of dollars in sports grants to organisations where Liberal MPs had a clear conflict of interest.
After 10 years in government, the Liberals have made an art form of ignoring due process and transparency, while failing to fix the things Tasmanians want prioritised – health, housing and the cost of living.
Janie Finlay MP
Shadow Minister for Small Business