2016-05-20
Launceston-based Greens Senator Peter Whish-Wilson makes the following comment on the Malcolm Turnbull visit to Launceston today.
Senator Whish-Wilson said, “There was more money invested in Tasmania in the stage-management of a press event than there was in actual funding announcements for the Tasmanian community.
“Malcolm Turnbull tried to roll out new campaign lines, but instead found himself unable to find answers on Tasmania’s seven consecutive months of jobs losses across the state or University of Tasmania relocation funding.
“Another visit from the senior levels of the Liberal government, another time they bat away answers on the University funding. It’s time for Turnbull to stop dithering and make the call.
“Turnbull brought his Trade Minister to town to talk up new trade deals but the Liberals were speechless when asked about the crisis in the dairy industry that the free trade deals have done nothing to prevent.
“If the Prime Minister was fair dinkum about Tasmania he would visit with CSIRO scientists and hear their concerns about what his government’s cuts have done to Hobart’s climate science community.
“Malcolm Turnbull should visit with the Hobart-based Antarctic scientists who yesterday released a report that indicates we have even more to worry about with the impending collapse of the East Antarctic Icesheet.
“With the summer Tasmania has just had, a Prime Minister who is not listening to our climate scientists is not caring about Tasmania,” he concluded.