Dr Phill Pullinger, President, Tarkine national Coalition. MR
Jeremy Rockliff Libs Deputy Leader MR
“I’M proud to say that Phillip and I agree about the importance of the area [the Tarkine], and that we have each played a role in its protection.” – Former Premier, Paul Lennon, April 15th 2007
A local environmental charity, the Tarkine National Coalition (TNC), whose members’ work has previously been recognised and praised by former Premier Paul Lennon[1], has expressed disappointment that member for Braddon, Bryan Green, has today attacked the organisation in a government press release.

“It is very disappointing that a member of parliament has chosen to use their position to attack a local charity rather than help us in our efforts to foster a healthy and vibrant local eco-tourism industry based around recognition and respect for the Tarkine’s outstanding natural values,” said TNC President, Dr Phill Pullinger.

“We have for many years, in good faith, worked with politicians right across the political spectrum, including many Labor politicians, to achieve good conservation and tourism outcomes for the Tarkine,” said Dr Phill Pullinger, President of the Tarkine National Coalition.

“Last year the TNC submitted extensive and detailed submissions to the Treasurer, Premier, and Tourism Minister about tourism infrastructure and road options for the Tarkine region that would be in keeping with its natural values. It is disappointing that because our organisation has been one of many voices criticising the government’s ill-thought out Tarkine road proposal, that the local member has chosen to ‘shoot the messenger’, by attacking our organisation, rather than having a re-think of their approach,” he said.

The Tarkine National Coalition (TNC) is a registered not-for-profit charity that was founded in 1994, runs an office in Burnie, has a membership and supporter list of several hundred locals from across the North-West coast, and a face-book page of over 2200 supporters. The organisation is run by a volunteer committee elected annually, and is a strictly apolitical organisation. The TNC has distributed more than 10,000 tourism brochures promoting the Tarkine’s attractions and natural values, is currently working on a more than $500,000 Federally funded iconic Tarkine bushwalks project, and is about to co-publish and distribute more than 100,000 Tarkine self-drive tourism brochures.

Jeremy Rockliff Libs Deputy Leader MR

Labor’s divisive and arrogant way

Deputy Liberal Leader Jeremy Rockliff today dismissed the hysterical rant of the disgraced Labor backbencher, Bryan Green, as typical of the Labor Party’s divisive, arrogant, stuck-in the-past way.

“Tasmanians are sick of the way this government feeds on divisiveness, not unity.

“And they are sick of the way this government repeatedly tries to ram through the wrong decisions. Just as it is doing right now with the waterfront hospital in Hobart and just as it is trying to do with the Tarkine in the North West.

“The Tasmanian Liberals make no apology for showing leadership on these, and other issues, and showing that there is a better way. As we have demonstrated with the hospital, and with the Tarkine.

“Our Tarkine Agenda is vastly superior to Labor’s. All Labor wants out of this is a fight, not the best outcome for the North West and not the best outcome for the State.”

W: www.willhodgman.com.au