In the latest chapter of the Liberals' deepening Spirits scandal, TT-Line has confirmed that the new vessels will have to operate at reduced capacity until the delayed Berth 3 upgrades are complete, raising serious questions about why the Government is spending $50 million on upgrading the temporary Berth 1 solution.
The whole point of the new Spirits is that they can carry more passengers, vehicles, and freight in and out of the state. Economist Saul Eslake has estimated the Liberals' delays in delivering the ships are costing the Tasmanian economy $350 million each year they are late.
Given we now know the new vessels will only be able to carry the same number of passengers and cargo as the current vessels, the Premier's fabricated explanation of why it's necessary to spend $50 million for a temporary solution doesn't cut it. Yesterday, he didn't even seem to be aware that Berth 1 wasn't deep enough to dock a fully loaded ship.
The Premier's response in Question Time today confirms the Berth 1 upgrades are nothing more than a $50 million PR exercise to save them the embarrassment of having the new Spirits in Tasmania, but not in operation.
Despite the Liberals having seven years to prepare, work hasn't even started on the Berth 3 upgrades. The Spirits project is now at least five years overdue with $500 million of unnecessary Liberal spending added to the taxpayers' tab for the project.
This has become the biggest infrastructure stuff up in Tasmanian history, and the Premier has been determined to keep the truth from Tasmanians every step of the way.
Dean Winter MP
Labor Leader
Shadow Minister for Tourism & Hospitality
