Delays to expensive TAS Bass Strait ferry replacement lead to a minister’s resignation and a rift in the Jacqui Lambie Network
Michael Ferguson has resigned as Tasmania's Infrastructure Minister in the wake of the Bass Strait ferry replacement fiasco. His decision to relinquish the role comes less than two weeks after federal Senator Jacqui Lambie called for him to go, a move that also created an apparently insurmountable rift amongst her three state JLN MPs.
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00:00Tasmania's new Bass Strait ferries are massively over budget and behind schedule, but until
00:08now the minister responsible had rejected Jackie Lambie's calls for his resignation.
00:13Oh look that was disappointing because we're all working so effectively and properly together.
00:20But today Mr Ferguson apologised for the debacle and offered to relinquish his infrastructure
00:25portfolio, saying the ongoing commentary concerning the project is proving an unnecessary
00:31distraction and I don't want that to continue at the expense of a proper and disciplined
00:36focus on delivering the ships and the berths.
00:40A short time later the Premier announced he'd be taking charge of the state's infrastructure,
00:45a move welcomed by Jackie Lambie who questioned why Mr Ferguson didn't also resign as Treasurer,
00:52something Labor pointed out would keep Mr Ferguson as a shareholding minister of the
00:57company that operates the ferries.
00:59The same person who put us in this mess remains one of the people in charge of fixing it.
01:05The two new Spirits were originally meant to arrive three years ago at a cost of $700
01:10million.
01:12That price tag has blown out to almost a billion, with the first ferry not arriving until later
01:17this year.
01:18But the ship's new berth at Devonport won't be ready until 2026, with the cost growing
01:24from the original estimate of $90 million to $375 million, plus tens of millions more
01:31to upgrade an existing berth as a temporary measure.
01:35It is a catastrophic infrastructure failure, probably the biggest in Tasmania's history.
01:40The Spirits saga hasn't just sunk a minister, it's also sparked the implosion of the Jackie
01:45Lambie network.
01:47Two of its three MPs were booted from the party at the weekend after expressing frustration
01:53in Ms Lambie's intervention in state politics.
01:56It was about the fact that we weren't consulted in that process and it really did put us in
02:03an awkward position with our supply and confidence deal.
02:06The relationship was unworkable and I think it was fair to say that it was irretrievable
02:13and we needed to make that step to probably part ways.
02:16The newly independent MPs are now negotiating a new confidence and supply agreement with
02:22the Premier, one that removes the voting restrictions that were part of the previous JLN deal.
02:28Minister Erica Betts insisting it won't undermine the government's hold on power.
02:33There won't be a downfall of the state government.
02:36Asserting stability at a time of significant upheaval.