Labor wants to know costs as ships sit across the globe

With Spirit of Tasmania IV on its way to Tasmania, Premier Jeremy Rockliff is still yet to outline the total costs for storing the ships as critical port upgrades are undertaken.

Labor's treasury spokesman Josh Willie says the government should come clean on how much it has cost to store the spirits "across the world". Picture: Tasmanian Labor

With Spirit of Tasmania IV on its way to Tasmania, Premier Jeremy Rockliff is still yet to outline the total costs for storing the ships as critical port upgrades are undertaken.

On Thursday one of the two new Spirits was off the coast of West Africa, en route to the port of Porto Grande, Cape Verde with a final destination of Tasmania.

Mr Rockliff said his government would release the costings “as soon as possible” but did not commit to a time frame.

Labor’s treasury spokesman Josh Willie said the “ferry fiasco” was the defining issue of the Rockliff government.

“It’s an international embarrassment,” Mr Willie said, after the newly finished ferries had to be stored internationally as the ships cannot fit the existing berths at Devonport wharf.

“We’ve had the Scotland community laughing at Tasmania in our predicament.”

“We now have billions of dollars worth of ships all over the globe, whether they’re in Devonport, on their way to Singapore, off the coast of West Africa or in Finland.”

The Spirit of Tasmania IV has now departed from Leith, Scotland bound for Tasmania. Picture: Supplied

Mr Rockliff said the government had intervened and there was now a lot of work being done at the wharf.

“We intervened, we’re getting the job done and the Spirit IV is on the way to Tasmania,” Mr Rockliff said.

Mr Willie said the government was not being honest with Tasmanians about the costs, and was calling on Mr Rockliff to outline the potential bailout costs to TT-Line before the state election.

Mr Willie said the potential bailout was a “big ticket item” missing from the Liberal Governments 2025-2026 budget and has been calling for the government to provide an urgent briefing on the matter to the opposition.

Mr Rockliff said under caretaker conventions a briefing was only required when a decision was to be made, which was not yet the case.

Mr Willie said this was not the first “secret” bailout from the Liberal government after it provided an additional $80 million to the Finnish shipbuilder charged with building the new spirits during the last state election.

“This is a critical issue the Tasmanians should be informed about prior to the election on the 19th of July.

“We have billions of dollars worth of Tasmanian ships all over the globe,” Mr Willie said.

“It is a defining issue of this government. These ships should be in service right now giving the Tasmanian economy a boost.”