Morrison Dishes Out Millions To Win Tassie Votes

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has made a whistlestop campaign visit to Hobart committing $50m towards the expansion of the Lutana zinc plant, a $20 million cash splash for a handful of local businesses including Lark Distilling, and $70 million invested into Tassie’s hydrogen hub.

Touring the zinc works with Premier Jeremy Rockliff on Thursday afternoon, the PM promised that if re-elected, the Liberal government would contribute to the plants $400 million upgrade to the electrolysis plant.

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“Our economic plan is enabling this investment in Nyrstar that will secure around 500 direct Tasmanian jobs, over 1,100 direct South Australian jobs, and over 5,000 indirect jobs across both states for generations to come,” Mr Morrison said.

Spruiking from the marginal seat of Bass, the PM continued his Tassie splurge on Friday, targeting local manufacturing, announcing a $70 million investment into the Tasmanian Green Hydrogen Hub as well as a $3 million spend for a second project in Bell Bay.

Standing along side the PM, Energy and Emissions reduction Minister Angus Taylor said Tasmania’s hydropower potential was transformative.

“Tasmania’s hydro power has been helping to keep lights on in mainland Australia and now it can also help power a new, local, clean hydrogen industry,” he said.

From hydrogen to ethanol, Morrison earlier that morning frequented the Pontville distillery promising $4.5 million in funding.

Touring the electorate of Lyons, Tasmania's largest seat by area, the PM announced millions in funding for four businesses under Round 2 of the state's Integration and Translation Streams of the Modern Manufacturing Initiative. 

"It's just the boost these four impressive businesses need to take their products to the next level, creating jobs from their good ideas and hard work," he said.

"Whether it's a million more litres of Lark, shoring-up Australian made aluminium fluoride at Alcore, a quadrupling of seaweed extracts at Marinova or making one of the biggest breakthroughs in dairy since pasteurisation into a reality with Naturo's milk-processing factory, we're backing Tasmania and Tasmanian jobs."

Never one to miss a good photo opp, the PM got behind the bar and poured himself a whisky.

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