[Greens-Media] Tas Greens_Debt Funding for New Hospital Should be Considered_N McKim MP

[greens at parliament.tas.gov.au]

DEBT FUNDING FOR NEW RHH MUST BE CONSIDERED

Delay Due To Financial Concerns Could be Death-knell for Project

Nick McKim MP
Greens Leader

Tuesday, 2 December 2008
Contact: State Parliamentary Offices of the Tasmanian Greens, (03) 6233
8300

www.tas.greens.org.au


The Tasmanian Greens today urged the Bartlett Labor government not to
delay building a new hospital in Hobart as flagged by the Liberal
Opposition, but to consider partial debt funding to allow for the
project to proceed.

Greens Leader Nick McKim MP, who has long advocated partial debt funding
for a new hospital in Hobart, said that rather than delaying the project
on financial grounds the government should proceed with further site
identification work while investigating funding models.

"A new hospital in Hobart will serve many generations of Tasmanians, and
a funding model which spreads some of the funding responsibility into
the future is entirely appropriate," Mr McKim said.

"The mid-year financial report which is due shortly will provide a basis
for further discussion, but simply putting the project in the too-hard
basket is not the way to go."

"Any delay in this project due to financial considerations could mean
the end of the dream of a new hospital in Hobart, and the government
should investigate partial debt funding as a means to keep this critical
project alive."

Mr McKim also confirmed the Greens' long-held position that neither
Aurora or Transend should be sold to fund a new Hobart hospital and that
a Public Private Partnership is not an appropriate funding model.

"If we cannot afford a new Hobart hospital without selling off public
assets after ten years of solid economic growth we will never be able to
build one."

 





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