Why the anti-protest bill is necessary to achieve FSC …

*Pic: Resources Minister Paul Harriss and Premier Will Hodgman

Penalty Table Trumps Amendments

The Workplaces Protection from Protesters Bill 2014

This Bill is a heavy-handed, draconian and undemocratic approach that seeks to nullify the valid, democratic expression of genuine community concerns, which advocate care over the public interest, our natural environment.

In a civilised democracy all people have a right to voice protest, to effectively convey their views about matters of concern and to voice their opposition in a safe a proper fashion.

In the main this legislation has been concocted in a pathetic attempt to deal with the ongoing and unsolved debilitating and inflamed forestry conflict. It is yet another unfortunate attempt that does not go to the heart of the matter.

We believe this legislation to be considered necessary to achieve FSC for the public forests of Tasmania.

“To Make FSC certification work in Tasmania on State Forest, The Government obviously considers the obnoxious WORKPLACES (PROTECTION FROM PROTESTERS) BILL 2014 to be essential. It’s so obvious and both things are even happening at the same time. The MHA, Harriss obviously knows FSC will not work without it,” says Andrew Ricketts, convenor, The Environment Association (TEA) Inc.

It had been reliably reported that the Government gave the Legislative Council significant last-minute amendments. This also happened with the Forestry (Rebuilding The Forest Industry) Bill 2014.

We are critical of such procedurally unfair acts of incompetence, which invariably have the strong potential to result in poor legislation.

Now a number of MLC’s have developed their own amendment proposals.

This Bill this week is going to the Legislative Council Committee to deal with a series of amendments. The proposed amendments include (not sure if we have found them all):

• Amendments – Clause Notes – Workplaces (Protection From Protesters) Bill.pdf
• Government Amendments.pdf
• Leader Amendments.pdf
• Marked up version of Bill with Govt amendments.pdf
• Mr Dean – Clause 4.pdf
• Mr Dean – Clause 5.pdf
• Mr Gaffney – Clause 4.pdf
• Mr Gaffney – Clause 19.pdf
• Mr Mulder – Amendment to Leader’s amendments – Clause 17.pdf
• Mr Mulder – New Clause A.pdf
• Mrs Taylor – Clause 4.pdf
• Ms Armitage – Amendments to Leader’s amendments Clauses 7, 11, 12 and 17.pdf
• Ms Armitage Clauses 8, 9, 18 and 19.pdf
• Ms Rattray – Clause 5.pdf

A Penalty Table has also been published by the Government. Have to frame that one. (Download below).

• Penalty Table.pdf

The solution to conflict over forestry will not come from draconian legislation. Only a full and open process that hears all the voices can hope to resolve the long-standing, bitter issue that continues to divide our community. This Bill would drive a very solid wedge further into the existing division.

Suffice to say we do not support this legislation at all. We have been working on this unbelievable Tasmanian forestry issue since our inception in 1990 and for some members since the 1970s.

Our complete opposition to The Bill is both reasonable and principled and will be permanent and unrelenting. This Bill is an obvious attempt to diminish our democratic rights. The Workplaces (Protection From Protestors) 2014 Bill is democratically offensive and smacks of fascism.

Download:

Amendments_-_Clause_Notes_-_Workplaces_(Protection_From_Protesters)_Bill.pdf

Government_Amendments.pdf

Leader_Amendments.pdf

Marked_up_version_of_Bill_with_Govt_amendments.pdf

Mr_Dean_-_Clause_4.pdf