With Spirit of Tasmania IV now having been mothballed in Scotland for a month, Premier Jeremy Rockliff owes Tasmanians an update on the leasing process.

The tab for the Spirit’s Scottish stay has now reached close to $600,000 which includes $380,000 per month in crew costs in addition to $190,000 per month worth of storage costs. Tasmanians are still in the dark about how much we are paying for ancillary costs, and other add-ons like broker fees and pointless advertising in local newspapers.

TT-Line interim chair Damian Bugg didn’t pull any punches when he told the GBE scrutiny committee in December that there was “not a strong likelihood” that the Spirits would be leased.

Given the extraordinary ongoing expense of mothballing the Spirits abroad, Premier Jeremy Rockliff owes Tasmanian an update on the leasing process – including what’s changed after Mr Bugg’s frank assessment.

The Premier also needs to come clean about how long he is willing to make Tasmanians continue to pay for his expensive charade that a lease can be secured, before he does the right thing and brings the Spirits home.

Luke Edmunds MLC
Shadow Minister for Finance