Why Macquarie Point Stadium must stay in Tasmania’s hands

The Macquarie Point Stadium has been dominating Tasmanian headlines.

Now that it's passed the lower house and looks like it'll make it through the upper house, we've got to be realistic.

If the Tasmanian government is only going to listen to the parts of the community that want the stadium, then we need to step in and make sure it becomes the best investment possible for Tasmania.

My focus is to keep the benefits local.

If this stadium goes ahead, it must strengthen our local economy, support our tradies and small operators, and put money back into Tasmanian communities, where it belongs.

The project must be contracted to Tasmanian businesses and built by Tasmanian workers—no funnelling profits off to the mainland.The stadium must be for Tasmanians by Tasmanians.

I will continue to fight to ensure the federal government's $240 million lands with local businesses and workers.

The same goes for the $65 million for the UTAS Stadium redevelopment in Launceston.

We need real bang for buck, and we need it staying in our home state.

I secured the GST exemption on that $240 million so Tasmanians wouldn't be punished for the government choosing to fund a stadium.

Without that exemption, our GST share would have been cut, meaning less for hospitals, schools, roads and energy.

Instead, the exemption delivers an extra $1,100 to every household, a huge help during a cost-of-living crisis.But stadiums won't lift productivity; small businesses will.

They are the lifeblood of our economy, all having a go and creating jobs.

They need certainty and incentives to grow.

That's why I have proposed to increase the instant asset write-off from $20,000 to $30,000 and to extend it for five years, not one.

Tasmania thrives when Tasmanians are backed, and that's what I'm here to deliver.