BY GARY-JON LYSAGHT
The State Government has found itself in hot water after a
confidential document was released, which detailed a plan to compensate two
Sydney container terminals at the expense of Newcastle Port.
The arrangement came to light after a confidential document
was obtained by the Newcastle Herald,
which outlined how the Sydney ports would be kept in business at the expense of
Newcastle Port.
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| Newcastle Port [Image Source: Liam Driver, via The Australian] |
The agreement would see Newcastle Port compensating Port
Botany and Port Kemblar for every container carrier which passed through the
port.
Estimations put the cost at roughly $1 million for each
carrier.
The State Opposition have been questioning the Government
for years over whether or not this proposed arrangement existed, with Labor
asking at least 100 questions.
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| Tim Crakanthorp |
Newcastle MP Tim Crakanthorp made 37 of those questions and
says the answers have been “dodgy, redirections and contradicting”.
“This Government has been lying through its teeth,” he said.
“It’s only now we’ve got this secret document that we can
see in black and white that a deal’s been done that snowballs Newcastle and the
Hunter economy.”
Crakanthorp has been especially critical of how the plan
goes against the Liberal party’s belief in “free enterprise and competition”.
“This Government’s continually refused to disclose details
of anti-competitive arrangements and now this document’s released, it’s time the
Government set the record straight,” he said.
