No-one in government has wanted to put their name to the extraordinary 'stadium fast facts' document that appeared out of the ether this afternoon.
Normally there would be the Premier's or a Minister's name at the top of the document, but today there is nothing.
Obviously the Acting Premier and Treasurer Mr Ferguson, in his last day as Acting Premier, didn't want his name put on it the day before Premier Jeremy Rockliff returns from leave.
Mr Ferguson clearly thinks the same as around 70 per cent of Tasmanians who can recognise a dud project when they see one.
This is a project that will cost Tasmanian taxpayers $460 million to build, with all the money to be borrowed, and will have a negative impact to the Tasmanian economy of $306 million over the first 20 years of its life.
It'll also cost the Tasmanian taxpayer in the vicinity of $20 million a year in interest repayments.
As The Examiner pointed out today, former Premier Peter Gutwein blinked in March last year when he didn't have to and now Tasmania's bid for a team has been jeopardised.
Mr Rockliff is on the public record stating that the licence is not contingent on building a stadium.
That now has all changed of course.
And no-one in government apart from Mr Rockliff wants to be associated with it particularly the acting Premier and Treasurer Mr Ferguson.
Mr Ferguson realises by now that this project is indefensible and it would come as no surprise if he tries to roll Mr Rockliff and exits the government out of this extremely unpopular, costly and pointless project.
Josh Willie MLC
Shadow Minister for Sport
