With Jeremy Rockliff's incompetence continuing to set TT-Line's course deeper and deeper into troubled financial waters, Labor is calling on the Premier to provide answers about the impact of the Company's finances on Tasmania's tourism sector.
Jeremy Rockliff must immediately come clean about:
• How many day sailings have been cut by TT-Line in order to save money?
• Whether TT-Line's financial struggles are stopping the company from adding more day sailings to the schedule?
• Will the upcoming state budget include a bailout for TT-Line?
• And how much more are tourism operators going to suffer because of his government's incompetence managing the Spirits project?
The Spirits replacement project is now more than half a billion dollars over budget, and is costing the Tasmanian economy $500 million in lost economic activity for every year it is delayed.
The financial fallout associated with Jeremy Rockliff's massive stuff-up has forced TT-Line into dangerous financial territory, with TasCorp flagging that the possibility of a state government bailout is more likely than not.
Daytime sailings are critical for bringing more visitors to the state, especially those travelling with vehicles who are looking to spend across our regions. While extra day sailings may not always turn a profit for TT-Line, they deliver enormous economic value across accommodation, hospitality, and tourism operators statewide.
We believe that TT-Line exists to deliver long-term benefits for Tasmania, not just to maximise their bottom line. And that's why it has been Labor's policy to increase additional day sailings since August last year, but anybody trying to book passage on the Spirits knows that it is getting harder to book trips and the number of day sailings has been reduced.
Dean Winter MP
Labor Leader
Shadow Minister for Tourism & Hospitality
Anita Dow MP
Deputy Labor Leader
Shadow Minister for Infrastructure
