Tasmania is set two new Spirit of Tasmania ships. The replacement project has been under scrutiny in state parliament and how a parliamentary inquiry will get underway next week. It has been welcomed by the state opposition, who says there are many questions that need clear answers.
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00:00The State Opposition kicked off the new Parliament's question time in May with a focus on the new
00:06spirit of Tasmania ships.
00:08Now Labor leader Dean Winter is pleased the powerful Public Accounts Committee will be
00:12scrutinising the project closely.
00:15We need to make sure that every cent of Tasmanian taxpayer money is properly spent.
00:20One focus will be an additional $80 million payment made by Spirit operators TT Line to
00:26finish shipbuilder RMC after they encountered significant difficulties.
00:31Labor wants to know whether or not caretaker conventions were breached as the payment was
00:35made during the state election campaign but they weren't briefed on it.
00:39I want to make it clear at no stage were we given any information about potential $80
00:44million payments or financial trouble for the finished shipbuilder.
00:47Premier Jeremy Rockleaf has told Parliament it was a matter for the TT Line board and
00:52didn't require sign-off by the government or stakeholder ministers.
00:56The government says it's been transparent and has previously denied any convention breach.
01:01I think the government's been really clear and up front and has answered every question
01:06that's been put to it around the Spirit.
01:09Ruth Forrest is the chair of the Public Accounts Committee.
01:12She says the inquiry will provide an opportunity to speak directly to TT Line.
01:17One of the key questions that needs to be asked initially is when and how were these
01:21decisions made?
01:23In a statement, a spokesperson for TT Line said questions about the additional money
01:27for the new ships were answered in detail in Parliament.
01:31They'll appear before the committee on Friday with questions around surrounding infrastructure
01:35and timelines also set to be on the agenda.