Ferguson failure
admitted in 2018 no Australian shipyards could build new Spirits
commitment to Tasmanian jobs
Infrastructure
Minister Michael Ferguson has been left red faced by his government’s own
admission that no Australian ship yards could build the new Spirit of Tasmania
vessels.
Labor
Shadow Minister for Infrastructure Shane Broad said it was concerning that the
Minister could not state how many Tasmanian jobs would be created as a result
of the decision to delay the Spirit of Tasmania replacement until 2028.
In fact, the Liberal Government’s own suggests Tasmanian jobs will be put at risk as a result of constrained growth in the tourism and high-value agriculture and aquaculture industries.
“It was bad
enough that the Liberals broke their promise to have two new vessels operating
on Bass Strait by 2021 but now Michael Ferguson can’t even answer basic
questions about his plans,” Dr Broad said.
“At a time
when the tourism industry and freight companies need certainty, Michael
Ferguson failed to explain what Australian ship builder has the capacity to
build the new ships or how many Tasmanian jobs would be created if they do go
ahead.
“If the
government doesn’t have this information, it must explain why it ignored the expert
advice of the TT-Line Board and sacrificed jobs that could have been created by
expediting the vessels’ construction.
“Even more
concerning, Mr Ferguson refused to even commit to the two new monohull ships
promised by the government before the last election
“Without
this commitment, we can’t even be sure that the existing Spirits will be
replaced with an adequate service, even though modelling has previously shown
the growth expected in freight and tourism is reliant on new ships with
increased capacity.
“This government needs to stop hiding behind COVID-19 and spell out its plans to give tourism and freight companies the certainty they need and deserve, and to get on with creating jobs for Tasmanians.”
Shane Broad
Shadow Minister for Infrastructure
