The newly installed Tasmanian senator Steve Martin is telling local media the Turnbull government will deliver on a package of funding he secured in return for supporting the Coalition’s big business tax cut, regardless of whether or not it eventually passes the Senate.
In an interview with the Examiner in Launceston, Martin says Tasmania will receive the windfall regardless, because he spent his first six weeks in Canberra “knocking on doors and spreading the word about Tassie”.
Guardian Australia asked Martin’s spokesman what precisely had been agreed between the senator and the finance minister, Mathias Cormann, during the recent flurry of backroom negotiations, and received the following response.
“Cormann’s office and Senator Martin agree that $47.5m of funding is for key Tasmanian projects, $200m over four years for TFES ongoing funding, ongoing funding for TFES beyond 2019.”
The TFES is the Tasmanian Freight Equalisation Scheme that provides financial assistance for the costs incurred by shippers of eligible non-bulk goods moved by sea between Tasmania and mainland Australia.
Martin’s spokesman also provided a comment attributable to the senator. “From day one I came to Canberra to secure the best outcomes for Tasmania, and this is one of those wins”.
Martin – who replaced Jacqui Lambie after her stint in the Senate was terminated due to the dual-citizenship imbroglio – also pointed to $100,000 “achieved for Tasmanian fruit growers for bio-security awareness [as] another one of those wins”.
Guardian Australia asked whether it was Martin’s understanding that the financial agreements would be delivered by the government in the May budget regardless of the ultimate outcome of the company tax debate in the parliament, given that was what he told local media.
Martin’s spokesman did not respond to the question.
The government shelved the tax debate this week when it became clear it did not have the numbers to push it to a successful vote, because two crossbenchers, the South Australian Tim Storer, and the Victorian Derryn Hinch, were not yet over the line.
Storer has made it clearer subsequently that he will not countenance the government’s proposal unless it is presented in the context of broader tax reform – which suggests it will be difficult for the Coalition to get the measure through.
The government can’t break the current deadlock unless Storer falls over the line, or it persuades the two NXT senators, Rex Patrick and Stirling Griff, to reverse their opposition to the proposal.
Since it would be unusual for the government to commit millions of dollars as a quid pro quo for a specific reform passing the Senate, and then pay up regardless of whether or not it achieved an outcome, Guardian Australia asked Cormann’s office whether this was, in fact, the agreement with Martin.
No response has been provided over the past 24 hours.
The government secured the support of the One Nation bloc of three senators in return for funding for a pilot program for 1,000 apprentices in private business, a deal reportedly worth $60m.
The One Nation leader, Pauline Hanson, indicated she was also lobbying the government to press ahead with proposed changes to the procedures before people become Australian citizens.
Asked whether One Nation had an agreement from the government that their deal would proceed regardless of the ultimate outcome on the company tax debate, Hanson’s spokesman replied: “No.”
The government is characterising this week’s setback as only temporary, arguing it will bring the package back during the budget session of parliament in May.
