Does the TCCI have the right policies for commerce and industry in Tasmania?
Their September 2012 issue leads with a report that the Climate Change [State Action] Act 2008 is redundant now there are considerable changes in the national policy framework.
Given the trend of other articles it is a wonder that this is not also the fault of the Greens in cabinet and coalition; but they are not condemned for that.
Failures of the 2008 Act are outlined, focussing on the 60% emission reduction by 2050 target, claiming it would devastate agriculture and industrial processes were it implemented.
I understand the national target is currently 80% in the same time frame, so it is no wonder with such an understanding of math, TCCI lost $800,000.00 last financial year.
Further, they fail to understand the impact on industrial processes’ of the hydro-electric capacity of Sarawak, a result of a Labor deal, free of Green involvement, that is using Hydro Tasmania to assist in undermining the hydro-industrialization policy upon which TCCI members have relied.
Perhaps that policy was due to fade away but there has been no clear idea of the impact of changing the location of metals processing to an intermediate location between China and India rather than a longer Carbon emitting journey bringing raw material here for processing before shipping to markets, by that very TCCI.
And what does Tasmania do with the surplus power?.
Ideally suited to electrification of transport from sustainable sources, TCCI misses out on the possibilities of replacing polluting and scarce hydrocarbon based fossil fuels. The fossilized thinkers of the Chamber see only doom and gloom in higher costs to Tasmanians, a position unsupported by the facts.
Tasmania received an emissions dividend from its historical investment in sustainable power. Do your math.
In pursuing their Green-tail-wagging-the-dog agenda the Chief makes the following comments in his Executive [Editorial]; “The lessons are there for Labor … federally where the Gillard government is wearing political pain for moving closer to the Greens on issues such as …….public health and dental schemes.”
Six paragraphs later after lamenting changes to Forestry, the supposed lack of leadership, an effective economic development strategy and the supposed Green tail, we find the same writer stating “Tasmania deserves better – much, much better. ..it is time for Labor to return to traditional support …. [ with] social policies that improve life for all in the community.”
Have they not noticed the positive impact of adequate health and dental care delivery on traditional Labor supporters?. This is partly why Labor has entered onto what has been seen as Green ground, attempting to expand their vote or first preference both left and right now the Bob Katter Australia Party has entered the political arena.
It is with the framed outlook and low horizon backward-looking views that business and their political representatives are holding back Tasmania’s development, unable to recognize what a Carbon constrained world really means or how the centre of economic gravity has moved to our Asian neighbours and South American plantations as labour costs and scales of production favour emerging economies.
One only has to glance at the current state of forestry to see that low value untransformed product exported from a subsidized industry model can leave an economy unwilling to change vulnerable to emerging economies by trying to beat them at the game they play much better.
Eslake gives hints as an economist, the business has advocates who can see the wrong path [Cousins] and examples of how to in Wotif. The Greens have been wagging their tail with policies that have a forward looking positive impact on not just the economy but in those two other legs, society and the environment.
It is no wonder TCCI membership is falling.
• Earlier on Tasmanian Times: The TCCI Board which failed to detect any anomalies …
