Here to Stay

The MUA campaign to save the Spirit of Tasmania III has been a success. The ferry will stay in business for another three years. Maybe more.

Tasmanian Premier Paul Lennon told Parliament on March 15 that the tourism benefits of the vessel outweighed its operating losses. The government also announced a $115 million funding package.

But it was not without a fight. ABC News reported "a tussle between the hard men of treasury and the tourism industry, with the latter backed by the union movement."

State cabinet met on the eve of the announcement to decide the vessel's fate. At the outset the vote was equally divided.

That a damning Treasury report recommended axing the service because it was 'not viable' claiming its losses far outweighed the average benefit tourists brought to the state, did not help matters.

Press reports also circulated that European brokers Brax Shipping had a client willing to buy the vessel at market value.

Treasury had always opposed Spirit III, in 2003 recommending against the purchase of the $105 million third ferry.

But the tourist industry was on side.

The case for keeping the Spirit afloat was a strong one. The ferry is expected to bring in 35,000 visitors who will inject around $105 million to the local economy this financial year. This is compared to the $25 million projected loss for TT Line.

"Treasury is entitled to its view, but we believe that selling the ship would have resulted in an immediate loss to Tasmania of more than $84 million in expenditure by visitors and the TT Line," said Tourism Council of Tasmania's Daniel Leesong, who estimated that axing the ferry would cost 2500 jobs - 300 in MUA crew.

Casual steward Alison Merridew got her first job on the ferry. She said the young people who worked on board were often transformed by the experience.

"It is the most fantastic service and the support from passengers is fantastic. It's a great place to work," she told The Examiner newspaper. "It would be such a shame to can it after only 12 months."

When the ship arrived in Devonport the day cabinet met to decide its fate, the crew displayed a large SOS banner - Save our Ship. They waved and cheered as the ferry came into port.

Passengers on board gave their full support. More than 400 signed a petition urging the government to give the service more time to prove itself.

"The decision is borderline and the workers are very nervous at the moment," MUA State Secretary Mike Wickham told the Examiner that day. "This is our last hurrah to show how passionate we are about this service."

Ship's medical officer and MUA member Chris Tueon told The Examiner the State Government needed to give Spirit III a vote of confidence in the interest of jobs, infrastructure and economic spin-offs to the State.

Around 60 MUA members rallied outside the Tasmanian parliament the next morning calling for the Spirit to stay and waving MUA flags and placards --"Don't sink Tassie's Spirit!" and "Jobs not Dole".

"People joined the bus from Devonport, Perth roadhouse and Launceston and some people spent the long weekend in Hobart," said TT Line facilitator and MUA member Cindy O'Connor. "Others drove down. We had cooks, stewards, security, IRs, officers and Hobart wharfies here. Glen Wood, Sydney Deputy Branch Secretary flew in to join us."

Keith Pythian, bosun: "The crew rocked up to rally behind our ship. The guys on the Spirit I painted up banners. Mick Wickham organised the buses. Cindy and I phoned people. We were there at six in the morning, chanting 'Give three a chance,' 'SOS: save our ship'. We really made a lot of noise and the voice that got the crowd going was IR Johnnie Graham. We all gave a big cheer when the word came out they were going to keep it."

When the announcement was made MUA members celebrated with cries of "Spirit 3, Here to Stay." and embraced each other. Those watching inside parliament applauded as the premier made the announcement.

Branch Secretary Mick Wickham worked tirelessly on the campaign: "We targeted the media, the letters pages, talkback radio and TV.

"At the same time we emailed every minister. The union has been working hard with Ken Bacon, the minister for tourism. I was on the phone to him every night for a week and half. He was 100 per cent behind keeping the ship going.

"We've got huge cooperation from TT line. They let people off to attend the rally in uniform and gave us all business information we needed to hand on to the ministers -- costs, passenger numbers, income -- the whole box and dice.

"The night before we were all but gone. I spoke to one minister who would still not commit, as he walked into cabinet. The split was one vote either way. It was line ball. I was beginning to wonder whether we'd get there despite all the work. We didn't know for certain until 10 minutes to 12 when the premier made the announcement straight after question time. Then we were all ecstatic. It was all worthwhile."

Mick paid special tribute to the enormous work done by John Graham, John Pracey and Jody Larkins.

"They've done an extraordinary job," he said. "Everyone who turned up did a great job."

Sydney Branch too threw its weight behind the Spirit, refuting claims that there was no berth for the Spirit in Darling Harbour and that the ship was a sailing advertisement for Tasmania as she past out of the Harbour and down the coast in full view of every beach-goer.

National Secretary Paddy Crumlin said the union had enlisted the support of the ACTU to lobby the government. He said the successful outcome was a credit to the determination of members and officials.

"We must now help make the trade work efficiently and in the interests of the Tasmanian economy and community," he said.

"The decision also reflects the solid and mature commitment of the Lennon Labor Government to realising the vessel's full potential," he said. "The MUA will continue to work with the Tasmanian Government, TT line and the industry to achieve the maximum positive economic outcome over the next three years."

Spirit III had only attracted half the passengers projected by a TT line business plan. But slashing fares in recent months doubled bookings and the ship was carrying record numbers of passengers and cargo in autumn, more than 400 people the day it arrived in Devonport to await its fate.

Keeping Spirit III secured 2000 Tasmanian jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars of reinvestment into Tasmania's future, the Tourism Council of Tasmania told The Advocate newspaper. The vessels losses would reduce dramatically in coming years and were far less than the ship's economic and jobs value to the State.

"Industry is going to be in extensive negotiations and discussions with TT-Line to make sure we make the most of this ship," a Tourism Council spokesperson said. "And industry is certainly going to be 100 per cent behind the ship and its success and 100 per cent committed to ensuring that it is viable in the long term."

TT Line Chief executive Peter Simmons thanked the government supporters of tourism, the MUA and the Tasmanian community for their support.

Mick Wickham said an important outcome of the government decision to retain the ferry was that we now had the opportunity to give more casual workers permanent jobs.

Greg Doughty, long-term MUA delegate, described the decision to keep the ferry as a courageous stand against the bean counters and stamp lickers in Hobart.

His letter, published in The Advocate, also congratulated Mick Wickham and all MUA members who took the time to travel to Hobart and support the Spirit.