Tasmania’s lower house has censured Sports Minister Nick Duigan after he walked back a $100,000 grant earmarked for a community football club because its president appeared in a photo with Labor.
The motion, moved by Labor leader Josh Willie, passed 19-14 on Thursday with support from Labor, the Greens and crossbench independents.
The censure centres on a promised contribution to the North Launceston Football Club, which has been left without a home after its clubrooms at UTAS Stadium were demolished as part of a $130 million upgrade.
A draft letter sent to club president Adrian Hall in July pledged $100,000 for planning work on a new facility.
The picture of former Labor leader Dean Winter with North Launceston Football Club president Adrian Hall during the election campaign. Image / The Examiner
But Duigan admitted during estimates hearings last month that he chose not to sign the letter because Hall had “stood next to” then-Labor leader Dean Winter during the campaign.
Speaking in parliament today prior to the motion, Duigan conceded his comments were unacceptable and apologised.
Labor leader Josh Willie moved the censure motion. Image / Pulse
Labor’s Josh Willie said the apology had come too late.
“The minister did not try and mop this up a couple of weeks ago. He is only trying to do it now because he is facing a consequence,” he said.
“If you want people’s behaviour to change, there have to be consequences sometimes.”
“We have carefully crafted this to make sure that the minister does get a second chance.”
Premier Jeremy Rockliff defended his minister, saying Duigan had “accepted responsibility” and “apologised, as one should”.
“There were discussions during the election campaign on how best we could ensure the club secures a home,” he said.
“There was no agreement. There was a draft letter, an unsigned draft letter, and the minister did not make a funding commitment. It was a draft election commitment.”
The premier said Duigan is “continuing to work collaboratively and closely with the club to secure a good outcome”.
The censure motion passed 19-14 with support from the Greens and independents. Image / Pulse
Independent MP Peter George said the minister’s actions since had been insufficient.
“I do believe he’s genuinely remorseful, I do believe he is embarrassed, but remorse, however sincere, does not dissolve accountability,” he said.
“This parliament bears a very, very strong responsibility to uphold standards of integrity and to legislate eventually to deter conduct of this kind in the future.”
The motion accused Duigan of a “gross misuse of power” and called on the government to reinstate the funding.
Greens MP Vica Bayley said the incident highlighted the broader problem of pork-barrelling during election campaigns.
“Offering a letter, dangling that in front of a club and then effectively withdrawing it because a club stood next to the competition in an electoral sense is very, very poor practice,” he said.
The 103-year-old club remains in temporary accommodation with no confirmed long-term home.