Public servant's stadium op-ed drafted with help from football club and builders lobby
John Perry’s pro-stadium opinion piece was prepared with feedback from the Tasmania Devils AFL club and Master Builders Tasmania, despite government claims it was produced independently.
Ahead of a decisive vote on the Macquarie Point stadium, Coordinator-General John Perry authored a lengthy opinion piece that projected economic benefits many times higher than the government’s own figures. Emails obtained later reveal that early drafts were sent to Tasmania Devils AFL club’s marketing manager for comment and to Master Builders Tasmania’s chief executive, who helped refine the narrative and prepared a media release.
Perry indicated he would brief a select group of upper-house members, a suggestion traced back to the football club, and the draft was also circulated within the Department of Premier and Cabinet and the Premier’s Office. In parliamentary questioning, Perry asserted the piece was his independent work, though no approval documentation was found. Critics in the upper house called the analysis “economic spin” and highlighted methodological differences with other estimates. The stadium ultimately passed the upper house in December, with construction beginning in July and an overall cost estimate of $1.13 billion.
Why it matters
It raises questions about the impartiality of public officials influencing major infrastructure decisions.
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