Lisa Singh

The popularity of direct flights from Hobart suggests that there are profitable possibilities in a Hobart-Canberra route for an astute airline, a route that will also save Australian taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars a year.

That is why I am so supportive of the letter written by the ACT’s Chief Minister Andrew Barr to Will Hodgman this week.

Mr Barr is calling on Tasmania to join the ACT in a concerted push for the reinstatement of direct flights between Hobart and Canberra.

With Tasmanians hungry to take advantage of broader travel options, I agree with Mr Barr that cutting out the connection in Melbourne or Sydney would let Tasmanians travel to Australia’s national capital as easily as citizens from every other state capital can.

It would also drastically reduce the cost in airfares – currently borne by Australian taxpayers – for politicians like myself and my Tasmanian colleagues on our regular work trips to and from the Parliament of Australia.

I urge Will Hodgman to act quickly and join the ACT to deliver a win-win-win for Tasmanians, taxpayers and airlines.

FRIDAY, 23 MARCH 2018

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Authorised by Noah Carroll ALP Canberra