Liberals must listen and dump Westbury Prison

Tasmanian Labor
  • Elise Archer to finally front town meeting today
  • Liberals must dump Westbury Prison before Christmas
  • Westbury community fed up with Government secrecy
  • Westbury locals have made it clear that Will Hodgman’s maximum security northern prison is not welcome in their community.

    Labor Member for Lyons Jen Butler said the Government had arrogantly assumed the community did not even need to be consulted and were playing catch-up.”

    “Two and a half months ago, the Liberals announced the site of the prison without even trying to understand what the community might think,” Ms Butler said.

    “Elise Archer should stand in front of the community at tonight’s town meeting and explain why they announced the maximum security prison without any consultation and why they chose the beautiful, historic town of Westbury.

    “She should then put the community out of its misery and dump the Westbury site before Christmas.

    “Will Hodgman said on radio this morning that it would be used for dangerous criminals*, yet he can’t understand why eight of ten locals are against the Westbury prison.

    “People are sick of the pig-headed and secret approach from the Liberal Government on this issue. It’s time to rule Westbury out of consideration, once and for all.”

    *Will Hodgman, 16 December 2019 – “I’d rather keep dangerous criminals in prison than out. We need a prison. We need one that’s contemporary and that’s based in the north.”

    Jen Butler MP – Labor Member for Lyons

    /Public Release. View in full here.