[Greens-Media] Tas Greens_Labor Defeats Dedicated Bail-Out Criteria_N McKim MP

[greens at parliament.tas.gov.au]

PROPOSAL FOR TRANSPARENT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE CRITERIA VOTED DOWN

Nick McKim MP
Greens Leader

Wednesday, 26 August 2009
Contact: State Parliamentary Offices of the Tasmanian Greens, (03) 6233
8300

www.tas.greens.org.au


The Tasmanian Greens today said that Labor's decision to vote down a
proposal to establish published Private Sector Financial Assistance
Criteria which would allow for a transparent process to assess requests
for financial assistance from private sector companies.

Greens Leader Nick McKim MP said that Premier David Bartlett had missed
an opportunity to work co-operatively to improve business confidence and
transparency in government decision-making.

Mr McKim said that Criteria could include:

- A requirement for a business plan that shows the company can be
sustainable in the long term;

- A requirement that a bail-out would be in the taxpayers best
interests;

- That the decision making process is transparent with full public
disclosure where appropriate;

- A Social Interest Test, and Environmental Interest Test;

- Prescribed regular reports back from the company to test progress
against published benchmarks;

- Ability to set criteria that could require company to take certain
actions;

- A requirement that all other sources of funding have been fully
investigated; and

"The Greens do not think we have all the answers when it comes to
devising the most workable and appropriate criteria, which is why we
believe there should be full consultation with stakeholders such as the
TCCI, the Tasmanian Small Business Council, the Audit Office, and
others."

"Our call today for a dedicated 'bail-out' Private Sector Financial
Assistance Criteria, would have complemented the current industry
support schemes, as it fills a crucial hole in the information available
to both the Tasmanian community and private sector." 

Mr McKim also said that Mr Bartlett's suggestion that the Tasmanian
Development Act framework is satisfactory and fully transparent is
misleading.

"The TDA criteria is effectively a series of motherhood statements which
do not provide the kind of rigorous assessment framework Tasmanians
expect, and also does not provide for full transparency as we found out
today."

"Tasmanians want to know under what circumstances financial assistance
will be provided, and the business community want a level playing
field."





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