‘Liar’: Rebecca White stonewalls on stadium but applauded on health in feisty election debate with Jeremy Rockliff

Rebecca White has refused to detail talks she claims to have had on renegotiating the state’s AFL deal to remove the need for a new taxpayer-funded stadium.

Premier Jeremy Rockliff and Labor leader Rebecca White on the Sky News Tasmanian Election People's Forum.

Tasmanian Labor leader Rebecca White has refused to detail talks she claims to have had on renegotiating the state’s AFL deal to remove the need for a new taxpayer-funded stadium.

A combative Tasmanian election debate on Wednesday saw Ms White – who opposes the $715m-plus stadium – accused by Premier Jeremy Rockliff on national television of lying about her interactions with the AFL.

“You speak a lot about integrity and honesty and throughout the campaign – when it comes to renegotiating the deal with the AFL, can you inform us who you spoke to at the AFL and when?” Mr Rockliff said on the Sky News People’s Forum. “You’ve just got to tell the truth.”

Ms White questioned Mr Rockliff’s “surprising” priorities but refused to answer the question. “I’m happy to tell you all that I have been speaking to people at the AFL but I’m not going to tell you who,” she said.

“That would be like if you told us who you were having conversations with when you’re negotiating a deal. It’s not appropriate.

“I respect people’s professionalism far more than that. What I have been saying publicly is that that I’ll stand up for Tasmania, and they are the conversations I’m having.”

Mr Rockliff replied: “I take it you are not telling the truth.”

The controversial plan to build a stadium at Hobart’s Macquarie Point – promised by the Rockliff government to secure the 19th AFL licence – featured prominently in the second and last leaders’ debate.

Crises in health services, housing and costs of living dominated, while Liberal plans to expand native forest logging were attacked by Ms White, and by protesters outside the Town Hall venue.

Mr Rockliff conceded most may not support the stadium plan, but defended the project as a significant economic and jobs driver.

“It’s a clear enabler… 4,000 jobs will be created in that construction and more jobs moving forward, generating economic wealth where we can have private business come in and around the stadium, bringing with it hotels, apartments, bars,” he told the audience of undecided voters. “It generates $2 billion in economic activity.”

This would assist the government to invest in public services, he said. Ms White disagreed. “Has anyone read the business case for the stadium?” she asked. “It shows it runs at a loss over 20 years and it loses about $300m.

“It also demonstrates that the only revenue that comes back to the government is about $300,000 in payroll tax. That would pay for about three nurses. There will be no revenue coming from the stadium back to the taxpayer.”

The AFL declined to say what talks if any it had undertaken with Ms White.

Ms White’s question to Mr Rockliff focused on a 38-year-old constituent who “lives in chronic pain, can barely walk and when she eats she vomits” and yet had been told to wait 800 days for hernia surgery.

“After 10 years (in office) this is the way you are treating constituents who are in chronic pain (so) why should she give you 14 years?” Ms White said, receiving the evening’s longest applause.

Mr Rockliff said he cared about the woman and others who were “waiting too long” for elective surgery, but that waiting lists had reduced from 12,200 to about 8,000.