Head south, Mr Morrison

The fact Prime Minister Scott Morrison will spend the weekend in northern Tasmania shows the Liberals believe that both Bass and Braddon are potentially winnable seats at the election.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

THE fact Prime Minister Scott Morrison will spend the weekend in northern Tasmania shows the Liberals believe that both Bass and Braddon are potentially winnable seats at the election he will call for late May.

This is good news for Tasmania. That’s because the worst thing for a region in the lead-up to an election is to not be considered a battleground. That means you are generally ignored, and miss out on the big-spending local promises that are always made by both sides in electorates considered marginal.

NORTHERN SEATS TO FEEL PM’S LOVE THIS WEEKEND

For an example of this phenomenon, one need look no further from home than Hobart and southern Tasmania. It is here that Julie Collins has locked Franklin away for Labor and where Andrew Wilkie in Denison (now renamed Clark) is perhaps the safest bet to be returned of any independent in the country. That means there is little point for either side of politics to pay much attention to the two southern seats — and certainly no reason for them to promise more than the basics for Hobart and surrounds.

A case in point is the long-awaited Hobart City Deal. The heads of agreement for the deal was signed amid much fanfare way back on September 29, 2016. Another formal signing ceremony followed last January in the lead-up to the state election. But we are still waiting for any details, let alone a commitment for any of the important initiatives the City Deal is supposed to provide funding for. These include the creation of a Greater Hobart Transport Vision that would reopen the northern suburbs rail corridor, an Antarctic Precinct at Macquarie Point, and cash for the University of Tasmania’s proposed STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) Centre.

In November last year, Cities Minister Alan Tudge visited for a meeting with Treasurer Peter Gutwein and the four Greater Hobart mayors. He confirmed the deal would involve transportation, housing, the Macquarie Point redevelopment and some “other aspects”. He said the hope was it would be completed by Christmas.

But it hasn’t been.

And such is the frustration with the ongoing delays that the four Greater Hobart mayors earlier this month wrote an open letter to the Prime Minister and Premier Will Hodgman seeking answers on when the City Deal would be signed — and seeking a briefing. They are yet to receive even an acknowledgment of their letter, let alone a proper response.

For its part, the State Government is now saying when questioned about the timing — as the Mercury does often — that the Deal will be delivered “soon”.

Most worrying, though, is that it is understood the plan had — until just days ago — been for the Prime Minister to announce the City Deal in Hobart today. Officially that delay is being blamed on an inability to “line up diaries”. There is fear, however, that the delay is really due to some sticking points having emerged.

Anyway, at least the Prime Minister has kept his date with Tasmania this weekend. He is always welcome — as is the alternative, Bill Shorten. The more time our nation’s leaders spend here listening to our concerns and our wishlists, the more chance we have of getting them addressed. So welcome, Mr Morrison. And let’s hope we see you in Hobart soon.