Today David O'Byrne is acting more like a European Trade Ambassador than a Tasmanian Shadow Treasurer.
Labor cannot be taken seriously when they mix messages of “buy local, build local” and “think big”, yet stand against the Government’s decision to allow opportunity for local innovation, procurement and manufacturing possibilities for the Spirit of Tasmania replacement vessels.
While David O’Byrne may have his head buried in the sand, there is no denying the unprecedented and damaging impact of COVID-19 on the local, national and global economies, and the need to redirect all efforts to local manufacturing to support Tasmanian and Australian jobs.
It is even more bewildering that, while the Liberal Government looks at ways to stimulate the local economy and create local and national jobs, the first thing to cross Mr O’Byrne’s mind is not how he can back local manufacturing, but how he can raid the bank.
This isn’t surprising given Labor’s history of raiding the Superannuation Provision Account, but our Government is fully committed to the purchase of two new Spirit of Tasmania vessels.
That’s why we established the Vessel Replacement Fund and legislated protections for the fund, to ensure no future Labor government can raid the money for their own irresponsible spending promises.
It is only under this Government the current vessels have been refurbished, that we have seen new records of passengers and freight, that the planning for the new vessels has commenced and a special fund established for the replacement.
The one serious question is, does Mr O’Byrne support local jobs when they are needed most, or does he want see these jobs to go overseas?
More Media Releases from Michael Ferguson
More Media Releases from the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport