News today that the Tasmanian government wasn't even aware of the AFL's paltry $15 million funding commitment to the Macquarie Point stadium, makes the project look even more like an episode of Utopia or Hollowmen.
The Mercury reports today that when the paper contacted the State Government it had no idea that the AFL had committed $15 million to the cost of the 98 per cent taxpayer-funded $750 million stadium.
The lack of anything resembling planning, due process, proper costings, understanding of who will own and operate it and the depreciation costs would be hilarious if it wasn't such a serious issue.
As it is it's like something out of a Monty Python sketch.
The State Government should have stood up to the AFL and said no to this project, which was never part of our bid for an AFL licence.
It's now nearly Christmas and we were told we'd have a decision by August and still nothing.
The AFL should grant Tasmania its licence without the need to build a taxpayer-funded stadium.
There are far more important things that government should prioritise than stadiums we don't need.
For the AFL to offer to pay 2 per cent of the projected cost of stadium is an insult.
The organisation is rolling in money. They just signed the biggest TV rights deal in the history of Australian sport at $4.5 billion.
Now the AFL is using this project - which the vast majority of Tasmanians don't want because they know it's not a priority for government - to hold us to ransom for a licence we should have received by now.
Rebecca White MP
Labor Leader
Shadow Infrastructure Minister
