Julian Amos – You Can Vote for Labor. Includes commentary

Hobart business consultant and former Tasmanian Labor minister Dr Julian Amos is to contest the Hobart electorate of Denison for the ALP in next year’s state election.
Dr Amos announced his decision today, having recently been endorsed by the party’s administrative committee.

His campaign theme – You Can Vote for Labor – is a signal to traditional Labor voters in Denison and the wider Tasmanian electorate that, with a reappraisal of the process of governing here, Labor can be – and should remain – the party of government.

Dr Amos is a former environment and primary industry minister who also had responsibility for energy and water resources. He is also a former director of Hydro Tasmania and UTAS Innovation Ltd and was chairman of the Forest Industries Association of Tasmania. Today he is a respected economic commentator and corporate adviser, specialising in resource management.

“It is clear that many Tasmanians who have been loyal Labor supporters are concerned about the events of the last four years,” Dr Amos said today.

“The government has been distracted from its core priority – running a vibrant state economy in which private investment is encouraged. Much of that is attributable to the perception that it is compromised through its alliance with the Greens.

“I argue that this has always been an unnecessary alliance and one that has compromised all participants. Voters expect a united government, not a government in which two Green ministers have been permitted to walk out of Cabinet when they disagree with a position,” he said.

“There is a pool of talent beyond the Green members of parliament from which to draw expertise if needs be”, Dr Amos said.

“Government must be seen to be laying down its policy positions and then implementing them. For some time, it feels as though ‘management’ has taken over from ‘leading’ on issues. I have been a critic of some of the processes used by government that has led to slow or nil responses. Investment is stagnant – this must change.

“In recent days politics in Tasmania has become juvenile, with a blame game led by the Commonwealth taking precedence over all other matters. The issues we face are too important for that to continue. The bigger picture is far more important.”

Dr Amos also advocates a return to 35 members in the House of Assembly: a House of 25 members has proved to be unworkable.

“Labor has proven it can govern responsibly. However. it has been distracted; it’s time to refocus, and to get back on track,” Dr Amos said.
 
Dr Julian Amos

PhD in Life Sciences from the University of Tasmania

Parliamentary experience

• Labor MP for Denison 1976-1986, 1992-1996
• Minister for the Environment and Water
• Minister for Primary Industry, Energy and Forests
• Chairman, Select Committee into Victimless Crime

Board Positions

• Chairman, Forest Industries Association of Tasmania
• Director, Hydro Tasmania
• Director, UTAS Innovation Ltd
• Board member, Glenorchy District Football Club

Employment history

• Business consultant
• Executive Officer, SALTAS
• Small business owner

Website: http://www.julianamos.com.au
Twitter: @JulianAmosTas

The following is a commentary made at the launch of my candidacy earlier today:

This candidacy is about the future, not the past.
It is about a VISION of growth and opportunity
NOT for dollars
NOT for the planet
But For us.- a human focus
For a fair and caring society – to benefit us all
And it is about a CAPACITY to deliver, with COMPETENCE

We have become good at stalling and stopping things.
We must become good at starting and growing things.
Our economy has stalled – we must catch up with the rest of the country.
To move from mendicancy to self-reliance.

There is no magic bullet – it takes a change of mindset, across the board
Whether it is freight, or health care or education – WE CAN!
I trust my candidacy lends weight to this cause.

NB The present stoush with the Federal Government does them no credit
Reneging on deals is NOT good behaviour
While placing our economy and our people in harm’s way.
Julian Amos