7 January 2023
LABOR MUST NOT PRIORITISE STADIUM FUNDING OVER OTHER NEEDS FOR TASMANIA
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s support for Federal funding for Hobart’s AFL stadium can not come at the cost of dudding Tasmanians on other needs.
In the past 24 hours, the Prime Minister has signalled that his government is interested in funding the Macquarie Point Arts and Entertainment Precinct project.
But, if Federal Labor are happy to provide taxpayers’ money to this project, then they must also promise not to deprive Tasmanians of the other supports we desperately need.
Premier Jeremy Rockliff has already indicated (including, in some cases, in writing) to the Federal Government that Tasmania urgently requires further support for matters like expanded Aged Care expenditure and NDIS services, as well as more secure health funding.
Additionally, we know that Tasmanians are doing it tough because of skyrocketing power prices under the Federal Labor Party’s watch. The PM’s own state colleagues have proposed a power price cap, so perhaps he could fund this as a way of delivering on his promise to reduce power prices by $275?
The PM and every single Federal Labor MP and Senator must guarantee that, if the stadium is funded, Tasmanians won’t be deprived of the things we all need to live. This is not an either/or situation – and if Mr Albanese has the money to fund the stadium, then he should also fund all of the essential services we require in this state.