Julie Collins (Franklin, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Regional Development and Local Government) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It was just over two years ago in the lead-up to the last federal election that Prime Minister Tony Abbott came down to southern Tasmania and announced that he would be providing $16 million for Cadburys for a tourism development that would provide over 200 direct job and around 120 indirect jobs. For two years Tasmanians have waited for that money and then in March we heard that this project would not be going ahead but that the money would stay in Tasmania.

It has taken since March with various ministers and the Prime Minister going to Tasmania saying that the announcement would be weeks not months away and that the announcement would be soon. Finally, last weekend we heard the Prime Minister was in Tasmania for the Liberal Party state conference and that the $16 million for Cadburys would finally be delivered—finally, after two years of waiting for this money and those jobs. Of course, what we saw last weekend, whilst I welcome the money going to jobs in Tasmania, was another re-announcement of the $16 million—an announcement, really, just of a process and no idea about when this money would actually flow. We have heard the process will open this year, but there is great concern in the Tasmanian community that this will end up being just another broken promise from the Abbott government. This $16 million of investment in jobs in Tasmania is needed now. It was promised more than two years ago and it should have been delivered to the Tasmanian community before now and Tasmanians are really concerned that they are never going to get it.