Environment
The real conspiracy
Mercury, Friday Philippa Duncan
Mr Lennon again refused to rule out State Parliament being handed the power to approve or reject the $1.4 billion project.
Mercury, Thursday Philippa Duncan
PREMIER Paul Lennon has refused to rule out State Parliament being handed the ultimate power to approve the Tamar Valley pulp mill. Mr Lennon, who is on leave, did not release a statement yesterday to dispute strong speculation that legislation is being considered to rush the project through. Tasmanian Greens leader Peg Putt yesterday called on Mr Lennon to clarify his intentions, raising speculation he has or will seek the support of Cabinet for the move.
Tasmanian Times, Wednesday
Tasmanian Times has been told Premier Paul Lennon is drawing up legislation to ensure parliamentary approval of the Gunns’ pulp mill.
The high-level — but unconfirmed — tip-off said State Parliament would be recalled to enable the passage of the legislation, bypassing all necessity for approval by the RPDC. Wesley Vale revisited without the North Broken Hill letterhead … ( The Stench of ’89 )
Before Tasmanian Times received this tip late last night, regular contributor Jason Lovell wrote …
Like Alfred Zudbrecka ( HERE ) I’ve never heard the particular version of conspiracy that Sue Neales mentions in last week’s Saturday Mercury ( HERE ).
Given the regular criticism of Tasmaniantimes as a clearing house for Green rumour and innuendo (etc, etc), and given that this particular rumour has never appeared on these pages, it all seems a bit weak.
Or it’s another conspiracy … to hide the REAL conspiracy!
Many of the elements mentioned by Neales have been cobbled together in a more likely conspiracy theory that has appeared in parts on these pages.
That is:
• the Tasmanian Govt says the RPDC will assess the pulp mill independently.
• the RPDC process falls over due to Tasmanian Government interferance … interferance that the Government always knew would stymie the assessment process. (That’s why they did it, and continued to do it after the RPDC directly warned them of the consequences.)
• the Tasmanian Government takes control of the assessment process and rams it through the Tasmanian Parliament in a federal election year.
• the Federal Government is forced to approve the mill or face the loss of two redneck seats in northern Tasmania and the inevitable $1 million-plus advertising campaign that the forestry sector is capable of mounting.
• the Federal Opposition supports the Federal Government’s move, fearful of the $1 million-plus advertising campaign that the forestry sector unleashed on Mark Latham last time around.
• Gunns and the Tasmanian Government both get what they want, without having to submit their pet project to the arduous assessment process that they promised us in the first place.
I’m not much of a conspiracy nut myself — better to believe in incompetence if there is any choice, however the above conspiracy is far, far more likely than Neales’ version … in my opinion, of course.