TASMANIA’S Economic Development Minister David O’Byrne headlines an impressive group of speakers to address the Save Our Mercury rally at Parliament House lawns today.
Mr O’Byrne, who is also Workplace Relations Minister, has thrown his weight behind the campaign to block News Ltd’s plans to ship Mercury editing offshore.
The support of the Tasmanian Government follows a cavalcade of community leaders to express serious concerns about plans to use interstate subbing hubs to edit the state’s leading newspaper.
State Liberal stalwart Michael Hodgman and former attorney-general in the Keating Labor government Duncan Kerr yesterday did a joint press release to call on News Ltd to abandon plans to strip the Mercury of senior journalists who share decades of experience and a wealth of local knowledge of Tasmanian events and politics.
The two high-profile Tasmanians – one a staunch monarchist and conservative, and the other a republican and progressive – are outraged at the plans to take editing offshore.
“Community life is only understood by those who share it,” Mr Kerr said.
Federal member for Denison Andrew Wilkie, the former intelligence officer who blew the whistle on the Iraq war weapons of mass destruction controversy, will also speak at today’s rally.
Joining him will be former Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce chief executive Damon Thomas. Mr Thomas is a Hobart City Council alderman and the Tasmanian spokesman for the Australian Retail Traders Association.
Rounding out the rally speakers will be award-winning former Mercury journalist Margaretta Pos, Unions Tasmania boss Kevin Harkins and Mercury sub-editor John Lawler, who has worked at the paper for 38 years.
The rally starts at 1.15pm.
Earlier on Tasmanian Times:
Mercury in the Senate
Mercury Rising
Mercury jobs on the line. Art Deco Facade to be sold
Save Our Mercury
A Fly on The Wall: Behind the Art Deco Facade
Journos’ fury as Mercury, Voice of Tasmania, outsources editing to Melbourne
