Labor wants ferries back home to save on ‘at least $50,000’ lease bill
The state government has labelled a new Spirit of Tasmania petition by Tasmanian Labor “a stunt”. How Labor proposes savings of $50,000 a week.
Tasmania
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Labor has launched a petition calling on the state government to bring the new Spirit of Tasmania ferries home while awaiting the construction of new berths in Devonport.
Spirit of Tasmania IV has been docked in the Scottish port of Leith while the government tests the market for a potential lease for the next two years.
Deputy Labour leader Anita Dow said the ship — and its sister Spirit of Tasmania V which is six months from completion — should be berthed in Tasmanian waters.
“Today, Labor is launching a petition to call on Premier Jeremy Rockliff to do the right thing and bring the Spirits home to Tasmania,” she said.
One of the most frequent questions I’m asked about the Rockliff government’s Spirits fiasco is “Why don’t we just bring them home?”
“The ships are called the Spirits of Tasmania, not the Spirits of Scotland.
Ms Dow said TT-Line Interim Chair Damien Bugg KC had made it clear that the chances of Spirit IV being leased out were unlikely.
“It doesn’t make sense to spend at least $50,000 per week keeping Spirit IV in Scotland on a wing and a prayer that it could be leased.
The best place for the Spirits is right here in Tasmania. They’ll be safe, we can complete the local fit-out, create local jobs and make sure they are ready to go as soon as the berth is.”
Premier Jeremy Rockliff said the petition was “a stunt”.
“I could say a lot about what the opposition have been talking about over the course of the last little while, and factual errors in much of what they speak of as well,” he said.
“The Spirits will be coming home to Tasmania should we not be able to lease the boats out.
“Of course, we’ll bring them home but as I’ve said many times, we’ll be seeking the best opportunity, the value for money for the Tasmanian people.”
Mr Rockliff said he would be happy to release the cost of double-page advertisements the government bought in weekend newspapers to explain the Spirits fiasco.
“It’s about ensuring that Tasmanians do have the full story and not mistruths, as has been displayed by the Labor opposition,” he said.
Mr Rockliff denied the saga had irretrievably damaged the government’s reputation.
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Originally published as Labor wants ferries back home to save on ‘at least $50,000’ lease bill
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