I was among crossbench MPs briefed today on the Government’s secretive “Whole Of State Business Case” for Marinus Link, two days before the massive project’s “Final Investment Decision” is due.
Let me be clear. This is a high-risk investment for Tasmania.
Given the high-risk you would think any Government, whether in caretaker mode or not, would want to ensure a proper process of consultation and collaboration across the parliament before any decision was made.
This has not occurred.
Access to documents and reports prior to the briefing were denied. Then minutes before the briefing my office was provided with a document dump, thousands of pages of documents impossible to consume. Those documents couldn’t be copied or taken away. The briefing was subject to strict confidentiality under threat of legal action.
It is clear to me why Marinus Link was hidden away during the election campaign by the caretaker Liberal Government. It would have sunk them.
I call on Labor to stand up for Tasmanians and demand no final investment decision is made until information has been released publicly, and there has been adequate time for consultation with the community and stakeholders.
For either the Liberal Party or Labor Party to sign on to Marinus without this is reckless and irresponsible.
I fear, however, that a decision has already been made by the caretaker Liberal Government and today’s briefing was a mere charade.