6 January 2025

The report by independent economist Dr Nicholas Gruen about the Hobart stadium is a reminder of the benefits of minority government.

One of the conditions for the Jacqui Lambie Network to support a Liberal minority government after the March election was a report about the Liberals’ stadium proposal. As the Mercury reported on 4 January, Dr Gruen found, among other things, the Tasmanian Government chose the wrong site, downplayed costs, and the project has the hallmarks of mismanagement. The report is another example of the accountability benefits of minority government.

We can thank the JLN for the report because it made it a condition of its agreement with Premier Jeremy Rockliff after last year’s election to support the government. If the government had a majority, the report wouldn’t have happened, nor would the report of another independent economist, Saul Eslake about the state’s finances.

The Washington Post’s slogan ‘Democracy Dies in Darkness’ is a truism. The Gruen and Eslake reports shine a light where it needs to be shone and so Tasmanians are better informed about how their money is being spent.