‘Just pathetic:’ Retired economist blasts government decisions, turns away from major parties

A lifelong Labor voter and retired economist has lambasted the major parties’ economic decisions in Tasmania and says he’s turning away from them at this state election.

Lifelong Labor voter Ian Burke is voting for someone else for the first time this state election. Picture: Elise Kaine

Lifelong Labor voter Ian Burke said a coalition of community independents would be powerful in Parliament.

The Port Sorell resident and retired economist said he always voted Labor because he believed in public good.

This election, he will not be voting for the major parties.

He said decisions by the major parties to develop salmon farming off the north west coast, to build Marinus and the stadium at Macquarie Point were bad for Tasmania’s economy.

“The business case for the stadium is just pathetic,” Mr Burke said.

“Any independent review tells them that and yet both parties, for fear of losing votes down south, are clinging to it.

“It’s a terrible, terrible deal.

Lifelong Labor voter Ian Burke is voting for someone else for the first time this state election. Picture: Elise Kaine

From an economics point of view, Marinus Link was a “joke”, Mr Burke said.

“It’s a joke, an absolute joke.

“The only people who benefit from it are on the mainland, and they are not the public.

“We will, again, do environmental damage here and enmesh ourselves into the national grid when we don’t need to,” he said.

Mr Burke questioned why the government wasn’t pursuing tidal technology or generating more hydro-electric power.

He said businesses were interested in tapping into Tasmania’s energy market as we had the cheapest energy prices compared to privatised systems on the mainland.

“There’s a layer of profit that has to be generated to go to shareholders, who in general are not the general public.”

Mr Burke said people are attracted to Tasmania because of its pristine environment, and coastal towns will decline as salmon farming grows off the coast and people choose to move elsewhere.

“Why would you want to live in a spoiled Tasmania when we all came here for exactly the opposite?”

Mr Burke was interested in the idea of co-ordinated independents, and said a coalition of community independents in Parliament would be powerful.

Originally published as ‘Just pathetic:’ Retired economist blasts government decisions, turns away from major parties