The Tasmanian Greens today said that the Liberal Party’s opposition to the formal naming of the Tarkine region was not only deliberately divisive, but anti-jobs.
Greens Member for Braddon Paul O’Halloran said that it showed how far the Liberal Party was prepared to go to try to create community division for their own political benefit.
“A large number of local businesses already rely on the name Tarkine, and for the Liberals to oppose it like this shows how desperate they are to use the Tarkine as a political wedge,” Mr O’Halloran said.
“The formal naming of the Tarkine will have no effect on land tenure, but it will give much needed certainty to industries that already rely on the name Tarkine to generate business.”
“The message that the Liberals want to send to local businesses is that they are not entitled to use that brand name to create jobs and generate wealth.”
“Just as the Champagne region in France is a goldmine for wine makers, the formal naming of the Tarkine gives north-west businesses another tool in their marketing toolkit.”
“For the Liberal Party to oppose this shows that they are prepared to sell out jobs in their desperate drive to promote community division for their own political benefit.”
“We want to get as many people to visit the Tarkine as possible, whereas Adam Brooks just wants to lock up t he area for the exclusive use of his fly-in, fly out mining mates.”
Paul O’Halloran MP Greens Member for Braddon Friday, 31 May 2013
