Labor asks government to bring spirits ‘home’ labelling costs to send local ferry content to Finland a ‘waste’

A right to information request has revealed the cost of sending local content to fit-out the ferries to Finland — and Labor claims it’s only the tip of the iceberg.

The newly built Spirit of Tasmania IV passenger ferry arrives at Port of Leith to be. Mothballed for up to two years. Picture: Iain Masterton/Alamy Live News

Labor is calling for the government to bring the new spirits “home” after it was revealed more than $300,000 has been spent sending Australian and Tasmania content for the fit-out to Finland.

Labor’s infrastructure spokeswoman Anita Dow said a right to information request showed the total freight costs for transporting their portion of local goods to Finland were $316,000.

She said that didn’t include the additional cost of sending Tasmanian workers to help with the installation in what she slammed as a “waste” of taxpayers money.

Labor Leader Dean Winter with his deputy Anita Dow at the Spirit of Tasmania Terminal at East Devonport. Picture: Supplied.

“Enough is enough, it’s time for Premier Rockliff to bring our Spirits home, fit them out locally and stop forcing Tasmanians to pay for the incompetence of his government,” Ms Dow said.

She said despite the $316,000 figure the government was still yet to release the costs for RMCs portion of the freight, which is four times larger than TT-Line’s costs.

She called on Premier Jeremy Rockliff to update Tasmanian taxpayers on the additional costs.

Minister for transport Eric Abetz doubled down on the plan, saying Labor’s criticism highlighted the “economic illiteracy” of the opposition and called for them to detail how they would have local content incorporated into the build of our ships without transporting it.

Ms Dow said the premier could have brought the ships home and had the fit-out completed locally, removing the need to transport the content and therefore the cost while employing Tasmanians.

“Instead he has chosen to waste millions hiding them on the other side of the world in a pathetic attempt to save face politically,” Ms Dow said.

Originally published as Labor asks government to bring spirits ‘home’ labelling costs to send local ferry content to Finland a ‘waste’