With another month of Jeremy Rockliff’s Spirit IV leasing charade almost up, the Premier must commit to making a decision and not kicking the can down the road again at the expense of the Tasmanian taxpayer.

The Liberals have now been talking about leasing the Spirits since October – if there was a suitable offer for our ships, surely it should have been confirmed by now.

By the end of the month, the Liberals will have racked up a eyewatering $1.8 million bill storing Spirit IV in Scotland. This waste needs to stop.

The Liberals haven’t been able to provide any assurances about the warranty arrangements for the ships, and the vague information they have provided gives little comfort that there’s even a bona fide offer on the table.

With Eric Abetz and the Premier providing conflicting information, we still don’t even know who will make the final decision.

Labor has been clear that the best thing to do would be to bring the Spirits home to Tasmania where they belong, so they will be safe, we can complete the local fit out and get them ready for service as soon as possible.

Luke Edmunds MLC
Shadow Minister for Finance