An excessive number of people are being employed to work on the Marinus Link despite the project remaining on the drawing board.
Labor has challenged the government and Energy Minister Guy Barnett to explain how so much money and so many people can be working on a project and yet there’s no progress to show for it.
Shadow Minister for Energy David O’Byrne said a staff of 46 people is a remarkable achievement for a project that still only exists on paper.
“To have 46 people working on something that hasn’t even left the drawing board and with lengthy lead in times is seriously questionable,” Mr O’Byrne said.
“It looks like this includes a good number of communications roles, which clearly shows how this government sees PR as a higher priority than action.
“The government says it’s not going to finalise a proposal until 2024.
“If the government was really committed to this project it needs to apply a much greater sense of urgency and a genuine effort to get it off the ground.
“The project is stalled and the way things are going Tasmanians can have little confidence their taxpayer dollar is being put to good use.
“The government must be transparent in this process so Tasmanian’s know they are getting bang for their buck.
“Tasmanians deserve to know what is going on, and if the government sees it fit to hire 46 people for a project that’s going nowhere they need to tell us why.”
David O’Byrne MP
Shadow Minister for Energy
