Speaker, the proposed staffing cuts at TMAG and the Tasmanian Herbarium epitomise this government's short-sighted approach to so-called budget repair.  

TMAG sits on Hobart's waterfront, within easy walking distance of cruise ships, ferry terminals and the bus mall. It is a drawcard for locals and visitors alike. Combined, tourism and the arts and culture sectors contribute over $4b to our economy and employ over 60,000 Tasmanians. These are sectors built on people, and on the expertise of people like TMAG's staff. 

And TMAG is so much more than a tourist attraction. TMAG is Australia’s second oldest museum and has been at the cultural, scientific and educational heart of Tasmania since 1848.

Present and past members of TMAG's Young People's Reference Panel put it better than I can: 

"TMAG is not just a place to see exhibitions. It's a place for learning, creativity, science, festivals, family days, sharing collections, school trips, holiday programs, work experience and so much more. There are always interesting things to do at the museum for free. But TMAG can't keep doing all this with less money. It needs money and staff because it has a really important job to do – telling Tasmania's stories, bringing joy to locals and visitors from around the world, and keeping treasures safe for future generations." 

Nor should we forget TMAG's contribution to science through the Tasmanian Herbarium. I and other members of this place have received many letters expressing deep concern at the loss of scientific expertise and research. The concern reaches well beyond our shores.

Dr Frank Bungartz, Collections Manager of Lichens and Digital Data at Arizona State University's Natural History Collections, writes: 

"In times of facing a global biodiversity crisis, Tasmania cannot afford to downsize essential research on organisms that comprise more than half of its biodiversity: lichens, bryophytes, algae, and fungi. These organisms provide essential ecosystem services not only to Tasmania's diverse ecosystems, but they are globally important. Biodiversity is essential for ecosystem health of the planet and ultimately for our own survival as the human species." 

With the cuts proposed, TMAG simply will not be able to keep doing what it has done so well: maintaining, preserving, researching and interpreting the collection for future generations. 

The government will say these cuts have nothing to do with the stadium, that they're simply about "right-sizing" the public service. They say infrastructure is a one-off expense that stimulates the economy, while staff are an ongoing cost. Follow that logic through, and the message to TMAG's curators, scientists and educators is that their work is worth less to Tasmania than concrete. That is insulting, and it is wrong. 

It is also an insult to our intelligence to pretend the stadium debt sits quarantined in an infrastructure budget. The government promised the Legislative Council it would cap the state's contribution at $875 million. But that is a cap on construction, not on interest. The government's own Coordinator-General told the Public Accounts Committee that Tasmanians will pay between $45 million and $70 million a year in interest alone, without repaying a cent of the capital. 

That, Speaker, is an ongoing cost. It is paid every year, from the same budget that pays our nurses, our teachers and our museum staff. And with the final construction price still secret, and the Treasurer saying he will be "agile" about the cap, Tasmanians have every reason to fear the bill will grow. 

So here we are, defending a cultural institution being sacrificed on the altar of the AFL, alongside so much else in this state, including proper process and transparent government. 

Speaker, I share the dismay, and the anger, of so many Tasmanians at this government's spending choices, which fly in the face of expert advice and the wishes of the community.

I urge the government to reverse this short-sighted decision and properly resource TMAG and the Herbarium.