Tasmania Labor open to new stadium – once AFL team ‘proves itself’

Tasmanian Labor will consider funding a $1bn stadium, but only after the state’s team proves itself, opposition leader Rebecca White says.

Tasmanian Labor will consider funding a new stadium, but only after the state’s AFL team proves itself, opposition leader Rebecca White has told the first leaders’ debate of the state election.

Ms White was pushed on her position on the stadium proposed for Hobart’s Macquarie Point, telling a crowd of business leaders on Tuesday the state could not afford its likely $1 billion price tag.

Instead, she suggested Labor if it won the March 23 election it would want games played at existing stadiums – Bellerive and York Park – while the new team proved itself.

“You prove up a team – you prove that it works, you demonstrate that you’ve got the crowd numbers – and then if we need to invest in infrastructure to support the capacity … then maybe we make a decision collectively to do that,” Ms White said.

“We have a bigger problem with people not fitting into our hospital than we do with them not fitting into our stadiums.

“If the team is as successful as everyone expects it to be, then let’s as a community agree that we should build infrastructure to support it, but right now we’ve got two great grounds … let’s use those first.”

Protesters disrupt Labor leader Rebecca White and Liberal Premier Jeremy Rockliff as they face off in the first leaders' debate of the Tasmanian state election 2024. Picture: Matthew Denholm

Ms White said Labor would renegotiate the deal delivering Tasmania an AFL team to remove the necessity for taxpayer funding for the stadium and budget overruns.

However, Liberal Premier Jeremy Rockliff, who earlier in the campaign promised to cap taxpayer spending on the stadium at $375m, said the deal could not be renegotiated.

“Rebecca’s position is as clear as mud,” Mr Rockliff said, adding that the AFL was “on board” with his funding cap and that the private sector would meet any shortfalls.

Tasmanian leaders debate: Rebecca White kicks stadium goal but Jeremy Rockliff scores a point

Mr Rockliff said polling showed only the Liberals, in power since 2014, could form a stable, majority government. “We are within striking distance of achieving majority government,” he said.

However, Ms White said there was a mood for change and only Labor – rather than independents and minor parties – could deliver it.

The most recent polling, by UComms for the Australia Institute, has the Liberals on 37.1 per cent; Labor on 23; the Greens 13.7; independents 12.8, and; the Jacqui Lambie Network on 8.5.

That would see the Liberals win most seats but fall short of a majority. Ms White used the debate to again rule out deals with any independents or minor parties to form government.

Mr Rockliff ruled out a deal with the Greens but did not rule out an arrangement with others, as long as it didn’t involve ministries or clash with Liberal policies.