Kim Booth: Greens support call for ANZ customers to walk away

The Tasmanian Greens today renewed their call for the ANZ bank to walk away from their role as secure creditors for the divisive pulp mill project, and supported moves by community groups to withdraw their funds from the ANZ.

Greens pulp mill spokesperson Kim Booth MP said the Greens support the community withdrawing their funds from the ANZ bank because clearly the ANZ bank did not support the community should it continue to back the Tamar valley pulp mill.

“At a packed public meeting last night attended by over 500 people opposed to the pulp mill, the call was made for ANZ customers to withdraw support from the ANZ bank until they withdrew the permit from the sale process,” Mr Booth said.

“The ANZ bank needs to come out of the shadows and admit that Korda Mentha are the ventriloquists dummy in this sale.”

“This community call should not come as any surprise to the ANZ, who are well aware of repeated calls for them to reconsider their involvement as a financial backer.”

Mr Booth reminded he has previously written on more than one occasion to the ANZ Board, highlighting a motion passed in the House of Assembly with tripartite support requesting that:

“relevant banks and financial institutions to consider the request to forego their status as secure creditors of Gunns Limited to ensure that local businesses, farmers and contractors can receive their moneys owed.” [1]

“If the ANZ do not support the community on this, why should the community support them?”

“Every consumer has the right to make an ethical choice and the only way the ANZ can stop a major consumer backlash and withdrawal of funds is to announce that the permits are worthless and rip them up.”

“If the ANZ sells the pulp mill permit then they are risking their brand and inciting a wall of community action against them that will go global.”

1Reference: House of Assembly motion, passed with tripartite support on 17 October 2012.
Kim Booth MP Greens Pulp Mill spokesperson