Comment: Government suddenly loses its appetite for the blame game, David Killick says

Comment: After all these years, we’ve finally discovered what you have to do to get sacked around here, political reporter David Killick says.

Mike Grainger Chairman TT-Line and Minister Michael Ferguson. TT-Line GBE hearing at Parliament House. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

After all these years, we’ve finally discovered what you have to do to get sacked around here. More heads have now rolled because they wanted to tell a tale about a delayed ferry terminal than because of institutional child abuse, the chronic underperformance of our housing provider, our education system, our hospitals, our prisons and our youth detention centre. Put together.

But TT-Line chair Mike Grainger’s resignation wasn’t sought when the ferry operator signed an $80m cheque to prop up shipbuilder RMC without telling its shareholder ministers.

And Mr Granger’s resignation wasn’t sought when it was revealed the ferries would be delivered late.

His resignation wasn’t sought when it was revealed the ferries would run half empty for a year or so.

Spirit of Tasmanian IV first sea trial. Picture: Spirit of Tasmania

But within hours of a thundering press release disputing evidence given by a minister and TasPorts to the Public Accounts Committee, Mr Grainger was suddenly out the door.

Was it his kind offer to “set the record straight”? Of course not. Surely obedience is not valued over than performance. Or is that the message?

There is nothing to stop Mr Grainger from appearing before the Public Accounts Committee and delivering the “factually correct evidence” he promised before the Committee as a private citizen.

In the interests of transparency hopefully, he will. Unlike his counterparts at TasPorts, Mr Grainger kept notes.

The government’s curious dance with its business enterprises continues. Boards are rigorously independent and at arm’s length from their shareholder ministers, until suddenly they are not.

The money they spend is taxpayer’s money some days and sometimes not.

Mike Grainger Chairman TT-Line. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

Don’t expect any bloodletting from the board of the nominal ports provider TasPorts, which has played its own role in the debacle at Devonport Terminal Three, and the crumbling berths at Burnie and at Macquarie Wharf.

(Don’t forget that getting our AFL team is contingent on building a stadium with $240m of federal funding that is contingent on TasPorts upgrading the Macquarie wharf, at a cost estimated to be $240m – that we are chasing from the federal government.)

TT-Line somehow managed to secure a terminal in Geelong on time and on budget. What was the difference there?

Our government, which has spent the past decade reciting mantras about Labor “sacking a nurse a day”, suddenly wants to look forward and not dwell on the past.

That’s understandable when a glance in the rear vision mirror — in this fiasco at least — reveals nothing but smoke and burning wreckage.

Our government, which has spent the past decade blaming Labor for failings fair and foul, suddenly doesn’t want to play “the blame game” because fingers are pointing their way.

The bill for this folly runs above a billion dollars spent and foregone. It’s getting a bit pricey to call it all a game.

Originally published as Comment: Government suddenly loses its appetite for the blame game, David Killick says