‘Bloody gutful’: Lambie’s message to Rockliff over stadium

Thousands of people have flocked to parliament lawns to protest the Macquarie Point stadium, declaring Premier Jeremy Rockliff doesn’t have a mandate for the controversial project. WATCH LAMBIE SPEAK >

Thousands of people have flocked to parliament lawns to protest the Macquarie Point stadium, declaring Premier Jeremy Rockliff doesn’t have a mandate for the controversial project.

It comes a day after the state government was thrown into chaos, with backbenchers Lara Alexander and John Tucker quitting to sit on the crossbench, citing concerns about the stadium and the Marinus Link interconnector.

Their defection has plunged the government into a minority and put the recently announced Tasmanian AFL team in jeopardy. The Liberals now have just 11 MPs in the 25-seat House of Assembly.

On a sunny Saturday afternoon, renowned author Richard Flanagan chaired the anti-stadium rally, where Senator Jacqui Lambie, Greens leader Cassy O’Connor, Hobart Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds, independent Nelson MLC Meg Webb and independent Clark MP Andrew Wilkie all addressed the crowd.

Ms Lambie, addressing Mr Rockliff said Tasmanians “have had a bloody gutful of your stadium and you can stick it up your bum”.

Senator Jacqui Lambie. Stop the Stadium rally on parliament lawns Hobart. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

“(This) is sacred ground that should be changed into housing ... and parklands,” she said.

The organisers of the rally believe the $715m of taxpayers’ money set aside for the stadium would be better spent on essential services, including housing, health and education.

The stadium is set to be built on the Hobart waterfront and recently received a boost from the Albanese government, which committed $240m to the project in the 2023-24 federal budget.

The state government, meanwhile, will contribute $375m to the stadium and the AFL will chip in $15m. Tasmania will generate an additional $85m for the project from “borrowings against land sale or lease for commercial uses”.

Mr Flanagan in speaking to the crowd vowed it “is not going to happen, Gil (McLachlan)”.

“We are going to turn this game around and we are going to win,” he said.

He told Mr Rockliff to take the stadium to an election.

“It’s not a business case, Premier. It’s a basket case,” he said.

Richard Flanagan MC of the event. Stop the Stadium rally on parliament lawns Hobart. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

Greens leader Cassy O’Connor said they were here “to make sure that stadium is never built”.

She said Mr Rockliff’s “own actions” had “brought a majority government to its knees”.

“... We now have a balance of power parliament and a whole new world of possibilities in the house of assembly.”

Ms O’Connor said Labor leader Rebecca White needed to “make it clear” that if she were in government, Labor would “not honour” the stadium contract.

“Sod off, Gil. This is our island and we are old hands at standing up for it and standing up for our people,” she said.

Hobart Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds in speaking to the crowd said Hobart residents wanted investment in projects that had come about from a “proper planning process”.