This week has exposed the Liberals’ utter incompetence on Marinus.
For 10 years, the Liberals have been talking about building Marinus. They have not laid any cable or built any transmission, and have still not made financial investment decision. They have effectively spent $130 million of taxpayer money over a decade of not doing anything.
The agreement the Government has asked Labor to support is the transfer of ownership of Marinus Link Pty Ltd to the new ownership model involving both the Australian and Victorian Governments. It is a deal they were supposed to have got done 12 months ago, before they decided to write to the Prime Minister suggesting the project might not be in Tasmania’s best interests.
More recently, this agreement was to be signed off by February at the latest, but they could not get that done either. On Tuesday, they communicated through a media release and then a letter that they needed our support to make the decision by Saturday. It beggars belief.
In line with Labor’s policy that Marinus should be built but that Tasmania should withdraw from the agreement as soon as possible – in line with the terms of the agreement – we will provide our support for the sale.
Further, the briefing once again made it clear that Tasmania’s stake in the project is not $117 million as the Premier continues to falsely claim. It is closer to $600 million once Clean Energy Finance Corporation debt owed by the state is included.
Tasmanian Labor will withdraw from Marinus as soon as it’s able to, freeing up capital to be invested into new generation projects through Tasmania Power Co. We have a plan to build the new generation that Tasmania needs to overcome its energy crisis. With only eight days to go, its unclear what the Liberals are planning to do to resolve the crisis.
Dean Winter MP
Shadow Minister for Energy
