Articles
DJ Bartlett: Hell or Hung Parliament?
Simon de Little, YouTube
09.02.10 1:34 pm
Labor land grab for Gunns pipeline
Nick Clark, Mercury
09.02.10 8:12 am
The negotiations between DIER and Gunns continued despite Premier David Bartlett’s “line in the sand” statement in July 2008 which indicated an end to Government support. The documents revealed that the road reserve compulsorily acquired by DIER for the bypass would have to be widened to accommodate the pipeline easement. Gunns wanted DIER to buy the land for the Dilston Bypass to overcome opposition from local landowners.
Politics | Local | National | State | Forestry | Gunns | Economy | Environment | LegalBartlett Launches Ploy to Shunt Greens off Debating Stage
Bob Burton. Picture: Bob Burton
09.02.10 5:47 am
Clearly, any journalist participating in SKY News “leaders’ debate” as it is currently proposed would be knowingly legitimising a Bartlett-initiated stunt designed to marginalise a significant political force in Tasmanian politics and deny Tasmanian voters of the opportunity to assess the Greens policies and McKim’s performance as leader. If Bartlett is serious about restoring trust in democracy, he would be insisting that the Greens be included in all pre-election debates. After all, if his policies are so good, what is he worried about?
Writers | Bob Burton | Politics | State | Democracy Tasmania | MediaPipeline threat to Franklin history: Huon Valley Guessing Games (17)
Bob Hawkins
09.02.10 4:25 am
DPIPWE might ponder whether there is a case for weighing environmental damage to a narrow strip of land on South Egg Island against the aesthetic damage that a huge pipeline would cause to today’s captivating natural beauty of the canal dug across the island by convicts in 1838.
Writers | Bob Hawkins | Politics | Local | EnvironmentMt Arthur: Forest Code breach?
Anthony Ross
09.02.10 4:00 am
A report by Associate Professor Brian Finlayson, an independent expert hydrologist, points to apparent errors in plans for a clearfell/plantation coupe at Lilydale that could see a proposed forest operation breaching mandatory requirements under the Forest Practices Code. Read more, Comment HERE
Politics | Local | State | Forestry | Environment | LegalForest Industry Plan: Just another glossy edition…
John Lawrence
08.02.10 6:04 am
Can the industry that has had such an enormous boost from the Twin Rivers of Gold, woodchipping and MISs, and has palpably failed to build a solid sustainable base for the future, and which now has its hand extended seeking further Government assistance, be treated seriously. … it is clear that if the forest debate is to progress towards common ground there has to be a little more Truth and Reconciliation. In that order.
Writers | John Lawrence | Politics | Local | National | State | Forestry | Gunns | Economy | EnvironmentKudelka, Mercury
08.02.10 6:00 am
Peter Henning
08.02.10 5:45 am
Very inappropriately, Kerr puts himself in the same frame as the Gunns 20 and Richard Flanagan – “good people who like me… were too often vilified, harassed and sued”. And then, as if he starting to actually believe in the value of meaningful discussion about important areas of policy in Tasmania, he says of the forestry debate – but deftly avoiding mention of the pulp mill – that Tasmanian “political leadership failed to respect the right to dissent and to agitate”.
This is truly political profanity at its best.
Politics | Local | National | State | Forestry | Gunns | Economy | EnvironmentShould we give this man a job? (3)
John Hawkins, Chudleigh
08.02.10 5:43 am
The Greens and good Governance: Over the past twenty years the Tasmanian forest industry has bought the allegiance of the Lib/Labs with the result that the State is now ungovernable. A majority Labor Government of fourteen members holds executive power; many have never been self employed or occupied any form of managerial position and through lack of talent could not hold down an executive position in the real world outside politics, yet they hold the future of some 500,000 Tasmanians in their hands.
Politics | StateIn the face of such apathy I am gobsmacked
Ruth Howie, Hobart
08.02.10 5:40 am
What has happened to the Australian spirit? What has happened to decency?
Politics | Local | National | State | Economy | Health | PersonalThe whole matter warrants further investigation
Tom Baxter, Lecturer, School of Accounting & Corporate Governance, University of Tasmania
08.02.10 5:30 am
The following paper explores some of the questions recently asked by Ben Quin, and previously Rick Pilkington: (HERE: The questions swirling around Paul Lennon)
Tom Baxter and Roland Browne, ‘Probity Issues Connected with the Tasmanian Pulp Mill’, paper presented to the Australian Public Sector Anti-Corruption Conference (HERE), Brisbane, 28-31 July 2009: Excerpt: “Tasmania is a small place. While in many respects small is beautiful, the State suffers what one academic calls a ‘culture of cosiness’1 whereby a concentrated corporatist culture drives incestuous deal-making characterised by conflicts of interest. In particular, Tasmania is afflicted by the ‘resource curse’, through which natural resource abundance appears inversely related to standards of governance.” Read the full article HERE. It includes some references to the Interim Report of the Legislative Council Select Committee on Public Sector Executive Appointments, which is HERE
The whole matter warrants further investigation.
Download:
ProbityIssuesTasmanianPulpMill_Baxter_Browne.pdf
Percy From The Pews
08.02.10 5:16 am
Well there you go again! No sooner written than I hear another of the Anglican churches “under review” has closed. Indeed, I’m told that despite the Anglican Church listing it being still “under review” as of February 2, St Olave’s, of the Don, is for sale and apparently has been for a while. It also seems they’ve dropped the asking price for it. It’s small, but yet another church with a history, dating back to 1869. The township, on the River Don, had its origins in the 1840s. The church was built on land owned by the Don Company. St Olave’s was closed for a time, but later reopened, and now it’s become just another bit of Anglican history in Tasmania.
Percy From The Pews
08.02.10 5:08 am
The bishop is the top man here, he holds the reins. So it’s hard to accept his response that selling the camp wasn’t his decision but the church synod’s: “It’s not my decision.” In similar vein was his assertion, in the Suntas leading news story of the same edition, looking at the rise of evangelical fundamentalism here, and accompanying it the closing of old Anglican churches, that these closures haven’t come from him but the parishes. There’s a final clause in the church closing ordinance that declares: “Nothing contained in this ordinance shall derogate the rights and privileges of the bishop of the diocese.” And “derogate” is defined as “to detract”.
ReligionIs Dr Sexton working too hard?
Cameron Brown
08.02.10 4:50 am
It is not until I considered what I now dub Lara’s rule; working too hard, that I understood why this whole tawdry mess has taken so long to conclude, Dr. Sexton is also working too hard. In fact while giving his all to the Medical Council of Tasmania for the past year or so, he has also held down many other very important and time consuming roles.
Politics | State | HealthPercy From The Pews
08.02.10 4:09 am
Did somebody say something to Tasmania’s Anglican powers that be?
ReligionTurn off coal; turn on natural gas
Peter F
08.02.10 2:54 am
Even though the Rudd government rejects the nuclear option, there may be a viable opportunity to replace them with natural gas burning power stations.
Politics | National | Economy | EnvironmentFT: What do they have to hide?
Charles Gilmour
08.02.10 2:47 am
Does Mr “IT” Bartlett have a justification for just why FT seems to ‘backdoor’ their public information? Afterall it is a public business, making public commitments ….. what do they have to hide? I personally can’t see any justification for hiding, deleting, backdooring or whatever they do with this public information. This comment appears on this article HERE. Comment HERE
Politics | Local | National | State | Forestry | Gunns | Economy | EnvironmentReplacing food production with trees
Mike Bolan
08.02.10 2:42 am
Another holiday bookmark giving the week’s more indicative news stories, organised and linked as you like them and presented in an economic environment that delivers national security by driving manufacturing and jobs offshore, and replacing food production with trees.
Download:
TW3_Xmas_2009_Issue_8.pdf
Ghandi
08.02.10 1:58 am
The Roots of Violence:
Wealth without work,
Pleasure without conscience,
Knowledge without character,
Commerce without morality,
Science without humanity,
Worship without sacrifice,
Politics without principles.
Mohandas K. Gandhi
Levelling the playing field: reforming forestry governance in Tasmania
Duncan Kerr SC MP, Speech to Launch Report
07.02.10 3:08 pm
Download:
ET_Environment_Policy_Asks.pdf
Levelling_the_playing_field_-_Key_Findings.pdf
Yet after nearly 30 years of forest battles I think most Tasmanians would like to lay down arms and be friends again. If we share that desire then we Tasmanians need to welcome a white paper like this with good will—not as just another missile to be hurled at opponents. No magic solution will be imposed from outside to make us make up. The Commonwealth Parliament has imposed many changes—profound changes—on the forest industry but the limit to those external interventions have probably been reached—it is up to Tasmanians to move beyond conflict.
Politics | Local | National | State | Forestry | Gunns | Economy | Environment
