Liberty workers pay the price for Rockliff Government's failure

Today is a devastating day for Liberty Bell Bay workers, contractors, their families and the entire Northern Tasmanian community.

More than 200 skilled workers are paying the price because the Rockliff Government failed to get a deal done.

Federal Labor, the administrator, the unions and the prospective purchaser were at the table and ready to keep working.

Instead, Premier Rockliff and Energy Minister Nick Duigan were missing in action. And the Government failed to secure a workable power deal through its own government business, Hydro Tasmania.

The Rockliff Government cannot stand back and pretend it had no control. It owns Hydro, appoints its board and sets Tasmania’s energy policy.

Workers deserved leadership. They got nothing of the sort from a Premier and an Energy Minister who was found to be clearly out of his depth while 200 workers in his electorate lost their jobs because a workable power deal couldn’t be reached.

Today, the priority must be supporting workers and ensuring they receive every entitlement and assistance available.

But every Tasmanian should remember where responsibility for this failure sits: with Premier Rockliff and Minister Duigan.