2022-06-22
Last night the leader of the Government in the Upper House, Finance Minister Damien Tudehope, was censured over the Government’s non-compliance with an order for documents by the NSW Upper House for failing to produce business cases for the Wyangala and Dungowan dam projects, moved by Cate Faehrmann Greens MP and water spokesperson.
“The Government has fought tooth and nail to keep these business cases hidden because they know their dam projects don’t stack up economically, socially or environmentally,” said Cate.
"Over a period of more than 12 months the NSW Upper House has made 6 orders for papers calling on the Government to produce draft or final business cases for these dam projects. Not once has the Government provided them.
“The Government is making the false claim that releasing these documents would reveal the deliberations of Cabinet. This is simply not the case. They are doing this so they can avoid scrutiny of these projects which are amounting to little more than pork-barrelling exercises by the National Party.
“The Minister has until next Tuesday to one and for all provide these business papers under this order. If he doesn’t I’ll be left with no choice but to bring forward a motion holding him in contempt.
“It’s vital that we get the business cases released to bring some transparency to these dam projects which were announced with no economic rationale and no supporting evidence. It’s estimated it will cost $3 billion of taxpayers' dollars to complete these projects which all publicly available evidence indicates are total duds,” said Cate.