The damaged state

Bob McMahon Tasmanians Against the Pulpmill

“This is how I see things in Tasmania, the most damaged state in the country.”

ROBERT BELCHER (SACA Sustainable Agricultural Communities Australia) will be a speaker at the Pulp Mill Rally on Saturday June 16th. He will also hold a forum at the Pilgrim Uniting Church on the same day beginning at 3.30pm.

“Tasmanians are in prison and they want to get out. They have a future if they are allowed to claim it”, said Belcher.

“This is how I see things in Tasmania, the most damaged state in the country. I call it How To Cook a 21st Century Corporate Cake.

1. Have a vision without costing it, especially if it suits your mates i.e. tree plantations.
2. Introduce a tax advantage scheme so that the taxpayer funds it i.e. MIS
3. Add copious extra subsidies e.g. free water, free road and other infrastructure.
4. Change the law to advantage corporate ‘planning’.

Then do something dramatic as the cake rises …

5 Add a PAL land ownership change law (so far we’ve got a lot — so let’s get the rest) i.e. declare trees a crop and remove all impediments to the establishment of tree plantations.
6 Develop a ‘white elephant’ processing plant (‘world scale’ pulp mill) to chain the government to permanent subsidy.

RESULT Corporatisation based on government taxpayer subsidisation.
LOST Real market, high value productive and sustainable individuals, businesses and communities. Dramatic decline in food production follows conversion of agricultural land to plantations.
CHANGE Land, water and markets are all held by the corporates. Property ‘rights’ become a thing of the past.
WHO PAYS THE BILL? We do.”