Pic: Karen Brown
I am standing for the Legislative Council because Tasmania is at a cross-road. The old industries are dying and a bright new future beckons. It is essential that Tasmania embraces change and moves forward so that it does not become sidelined, a backwater of the Australian economy. We cannot move forward until we get a progressive Upper House.
Only a Greens MLC can be a progressive voice in the Upper House. The Liberal Party are ambassadors for big business. Labor are compromised by ties to the old forestry industry, Gunns and Federal Hotels. The various “independents” usually conservative, have unknown values (will they support Gunn’s Pulp Mill?) and no power for change. The Greens are the party for renewal, vision, social equity and for environmental and economic sustainability.
We need to Green up the Upper House so that changes fought hard for in the Legislative Assembly can be implemented. At the last State election Tasmanian voters demonstrated that they understand that Tasmania’s future economic success will be based on developing sustainable industries, top-end produce and authentic high quality heritage/ food/wilderness tourism. They voted in a Labor/Greens shared government to implement changes to achieve this exciting new future.
The Legislative Council has been an anchor to progress, chaining us to the past, preventing us moving forward to a bright new economic future. The Legislative Council needs renewal. Not just new members, but new members who will support the new sustainable economic future … but for Hobart which candidate can be trusted to do this?
Elected out of the scrutinizing spotlight of major elections, with an uncritical media, candidates for the Legislative Council who claim to be “independent” will be unaccountable to the public for six years.
There are four “independent” candidates standing for Hobart. All of them are standing for change and all of them have some good ideas, however none has the power to influence government, because they are independent. An independent only has power when they hold the balance of power.
If you look carefully in the corner of his posters you will see that the fifth candidate Dean Winter is standing for the Labor Party. He is also calling for change and is offering voters a collection of shiny new developments for the city. As the Legislative Council is a house of review, he could not actually put any of these to parliament. Sure he could lobby the Labor members in the Lower house to implement them, but his power to change this Government will be no more (maybe less), than the retiring Labor MLC Doug Parkinson. Replacing one Labor MLC with another Labor MLC, Dean Winter, will be more of the same.
As the Greens candidate, I am the candidate to bring change and renewal to the Upper House. With degrees in Education and The Arts, diverse experience in Secondary Teaching, Small Business, The Arts, Public Service and Tourism I have the skills, experience and wisdom for the job. As a representative of the party of the future I will support innovation, sustainability and social justice. I will pass legislation for a Forestry Agreement that conserves high value forests and transitions the industry into value adding timber production. This will bring $100 million into regional Tasmania to provide new sustainable jobs in those communities. I will also support a single funder model for our Hospitals so that funds currently wasted on duplication of administration, staff and equipment are instead used for more beds and doctors. I will support a state $1 pokies bet limit, a Northern Suburbs Light Rail service, support for Tasmania’s farming sector, a “Dying with Dignity Bill” and Marriage Equality.
If I fail to do this as an endorsed Greens MLC then the Greens Party will be accountable to voters at the next state election one year from now.
I am standing as the Greens candidate for Hobart in the Legislative Council election on May 5th to ensure that Tasmania moves forward, while ensuring a fair society, a healthy environment and an innovative, sustainable economic future.
I urge electors “Vote 1. Penelope ANN and know what you will get.”
Authorised by P. Cocker. 208 Elizabeth St. Hobart.
• Candidate needs to come clean about support for Pulp Mill
Penelope Ann
Tasmanian Greens’ Upper House Candidate for Hobart
3rd May 2012
Call for candidate to clarify his stance on divisive Gunn’s Proposed Pulp Mill.
Legislative Council candidate Penelope Ann calls for Independent Upper House candidate James Sugden to publicly state whether he supports Gunns Ltd proposed Tamar Valley Pulp Mill.
“The Facebook page for the independent candidate for the Upper House has been authorised by John Pitt, partner of Pitt & Sherry, and is a very public and long-standing supporter of the Pulp Mill,” said Penelope Ann.
“Pitt & Sherry have huge contracts and a pecuniary interest in seeing the pulp mill built. Mr Pitt has been a key figure in the pro-pulp mill lobby in Tasmania.”
“Given this public endorsement by Mr Pitt, voters deserve to know whether Mr. Sugden supports the corrupt Tamar Valley Pulp Mill.”
“The Tasmanian Greens are the only political in Tasmania who stand clearly opposed to the corrupt pulp mill and have tried numerous times to repeal the Pulp Mill Assessment Act 2007 to rid Tasmanian Parliament of this democratically corrosive project.”
As a Greens candidate I have clearly stated in my fliers that I will not support Gunn’s proposed Pulp Mill nor any government funding to assist the proposal.”
“I call on all candidates to make their position clear before the election as voters deserve to know where their representatives stand,”said Penelope Ann.
Authorised by P. Cocker for the Tasmanian Greens, 208 Elizabeth St Hobart 7000.
First published: 2012-05-03 03:09 AM
