The Liberal government’s confirmation that it is actively considering building a stadium at Macquarie Point is an insult to all Tasmanians waiting for financial relief while they struggle to make ends meet.
Under questioning from Labor in Parliament today, Premier Jeremy Rockliff admitted that, after pouring nearly $130 million into Macquarie Point over the past decade, the government is now looking to build a new Hobart stadium at the site.
This would leave yet another Macquarie Point master plan in tatters, and a huge question mark over the $110 million investment at the Escarpment, which would have provided hundreds of desperately needed new homes in Hobart.
While the Liberals obsess about a new stadium, nearly 4,500 families are waiting for social housing, and the average wait time under their watch has more than quadrupled from 21 weeks to a staggering 90 weeks – or two years.
At the same time, 55,000 Tasmanians are on a waiting list to see a specialist, many waiting years for appointments, and the number of children identified as being potentially in danger but not allocated a child safety caseworker has nearly doubled.
To make matters worse, people across the state are struggling financially thanks to the Liberals’ massive increase to power bills.
Mr Rockliff’s claim that spending hundreds of millions of dollars on a new stadium will benefit the state’s economy is a slap in the face to Tasmanians in need of help now.
The Liberals have failed to deliver for the Tasmanian people and prioritising a stadium over Tasmanians shows they continue to put people last.
Rebecca White MP
Labor Leader
