Economy
Will gets tough … as Willink contests Denison as an Independent …
Former Liberal, Police IT Director and Army Officer, Hans Willink, has announced that he will contest the State seat of Denison as an Independent next year.
Mr Willink most recently contested the Legislative Council seat of Nelson, held by “Independent” Jim Wilkinson, in May.
“Moderate Liberal voters have every right to be disgusted by the Abbott Federal Government and it’s backflips on Gonski, the NBN in Tasmania, increasing the National debt ceiling and reversing poker machine reforms,” Mr Willink said.
“Voters are caught between a rock and a hard place. A choice between a tired State Labor/Green government, responsible for and presiding over the only State in economic recession and an untried an unproven Liberal Party that can’t be trusted.”
“I hope to provide Denison voters with a third choice. A moderate and experienced Independent who can be trusted.”
“I promise that I will continue to campaign on the same mix of socially progressive and economically conservative issues that I ran on in May, including support for faster project approvals, deregulation, same sex marriage, euthanasia, council amalgamation and fighting against ageism.”
“I hope to model my campaign on that of Andrew Wilkie, whose last three campaigns I have supported.”
“As much as we are justified in feeling betrayed by the Liberal Government’s back flips, I think Tasmania still needs to face the economic reality that there will soon be fewer funds available to do anything much new.”
“In accepting this new reality I take up the challenge to do more with less and will soon announce a new education policy to change a Northern suburbs high school into a selective high school, based on the successful NSW model. NSW now have 44 fully or partly selective high schools, so surely we can justify at least two in Tasmania?”
“Selective high schools are a key differentiator between Tasmanian and Mainland schooling systems and their use has never been seriously debated here. They surround bright kids, including those from disadvantaged areas with other bright kids, who then compete and excel. We need to use them to find and nurture more David Walsh’s and Bob Cliffords, who then need to be left alone to create wealth, with as little Government interference as possible!”.
• Meanwhile, in his campaign launch, Will gets tough on those pesky greenies, Examiner here
IN A hardline Australian first, environmental protesters who enter Tasmanian workplaces will face mandatory jail terms under a Liberal government.
In a key platform of the Liberals’ forestry policy, “illegal” protesters would also be hit with $10,000 on-the-spot fines – a 26-fold increase – for “invading” a workplace.
Under the crackdown, corporations that “incite or encourage this illegal behaviour” would attract fines of up to $100,000.
Kick-starting his party’s election campaign yesterday, Opposition Leader Will Hodgman said: “We will send a very clear and strong message to people who engage in illegal protests and who cost Tasmanians jobs.
“Under the Liberals there will be no get-out-of-jail-free card if you repeatedly invade a workplace.”
The tough law-and-order stance comes just months out from the next state election.
It also coincides with the federal government’s reaffirmed pledge to unwind the landmark Tasmanian forest peace deal that was meant to end three decades of forestry warfare.
Under the protest policy, first-time offenders who enter or impede access to a workplace will face on-the-spot fines of $10,000.
Second-time offenders will serve three-month mandatory jail terms at a minimum.
Fines of up to $50,000 and five years’ jail could be slapped on protesters who damage property.
Environmental organisations that encourage such behaviour could face a crippling $250,000 fine.
etc
• Christine Milne: Hodgman’s “new” protester policy a recycled failure