Parliament votes against sale of state assets

The minority Liberal government’s privatisation push looks doomed after both Houses of Parliament passed motions opposing the sale of state-owned assets.

Dean Winter Labor leader. Question time in the House of Assembly. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

The minority Liberal government’s privatisation push looks doomed after both Houses of Parliament passed motions opposing the sale of state-owned assets.

The Rockliff government is keen to explore selling off one or more of the state’s government business enterprises and using the proceeds to create a future fund to offset debt.

On Wednesday night, Labor leader Dean Winter’s “that the House does not support the Premier’s policy to privatise Tasmania’s assets” passed 16-14.

Mr Winter said his party was implacably opposed to privatisation.

“The Liberals have wrecked our Tasmanian budget,” Mr Winter said.

“They inherited $200m worth of net cash and investments and they have turned that into a pathway towards not a surplus as they claim, but a pathway towards $10bn worth of net debt and continuing to rise.

“Today, it is important for the House to send a message to the government that we will not stand for the agenda it has set forward; that the budget mess they have created is their fault; that it should not be up to Tasmanians to sell the assets they know and love, that they built, to pay down the debt they built up.”

Premier Jeremy Rockliff and Deputy Premier Guy Barnett. Question time in the Tasmanian House of Assembly. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

Deputy Premier Guy Barnett said Labor had changed its position on privatisation — just as it had on other issues — saying Mr Winter was in favour of asset sales as recently as 2015.

“The Premier summed it up beautifully in an earlier debate where he talked about this side of the House having courage and conviction to do what is best for Tasmania and is in the best interests of Tasmania, highlighting the cowardice of state Labor and the Leader for the Opposition,” he said.

“I put it in another way when I said the Leader for the Opposition does not have the ticker to stand up for his convictions.”

Vica Bayley Greens deputy leader and Doctor Rosalie Woodruff Greens leader. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

Greens deputy leader Vica Bayley also spoke against privatisation.

“The Greens do not support privatisation of our GBEs, our state owned companies, or indeed, let me just say, the Land Titles Office, which is neither of those things and yet has been flagged by this government for consideration for sale as well,” he said.

The Legislative Council on Tuesday agreed to a motion moved by Greens MLC for Hobart Cassy O’Connor which said the government had no mandate to privatise government-owned businesses.

“The truth of it is, no government that goes to an election 13 months early and then returns

with four seats less than a majority is not a government that can argue a mandate and we need to remind the Liberals in government that these are not their treasures to sell,” she said.

Originally published as Parliament votes against sale of state assets