Labor Leader Bryan Green has called on Premier Will Hodgman to dump his government’s grossly unpopular plans for Tasmania’s defamation laws.
“The Liberal Government’s attack on free speech has attracted unwanted national and international attention,” Mr Green said.
“Changes flagged to defamation laws have been condemned right across Australia, including by Human Rights Commissioner Tim Wilson.
“It’s time for Will Hodgman to put this backward policy out of its misery.
“Just as the protest laws failed because they went too far, the Government’s plan for change in defamation law is over the top.
“Uniform defamation laws were put in place to prevent forum shopping. There’s no benefit in Tasmania breaking away on its own.
“With the Australian dollar falling, the Government has a great opportunity to focus on economic growth.
“But instead the Liberals remained fixated on picking fights with their opponents in the community.
“The Government thinks it’s only taking on fringe groups but in the end these draconian law changes have much wider ramifications for free speech.”
Bryan Green MP Labor Leader
