Transcript of ‘Stop the Secrecy’ media conference, Parliament House Lawns, Hobart, 1 July 2021. Speakers were Cassy O’Connor (MHA for Clark, Tasmanian Greens), Jen Smith (Fishers and Walkers Tasmania), and Tom Allen (Campaigns Director, The Wilderness Society Tasmania).
Cassy O’Connor
Thanks for coming. We’re here today with representatives of 18 Tasmanian community groups who are deeply concerned about the privatisation agenda for public protected areas and the level of secrecy that the Liberals in government apply to this whole process. Today in parliament will be tabling an amendment to the Right To Information Act, which will prevent government from hiding behind that act and commercial-in-confidence provisions to stop the release of information which is in the public interest about developments in public protected areas.
The reason that we need this amendment…there’s no better example than when former Greens leader Nick McKim in 2015 sought through Right-To-Information information about the sites for proposed EOI developments. The Liberal government knocked him back. It was appealed to the Ombudsman and five years later the Ombudsman found in Mr McKim’s favour and required government to release that information. What we’re talking about here are public protected areas. There are no commercial-in-confidence excuses for withholding information about this government’s plans to privatise our wilderness. So we’re here today, Rose and I, with Jen Smith from the Fishers & Walkers Tasmania who has a statement on behalf of all the groups who want to see an end to the secrecy and want to see an end to this blatant privatisation and commercialisation of our beautiful wilderness areas.
Jen Smith
It took a member of the public 657 days to be able to get information on the lease on Hall’s Island. Hall’s Island is public land. The developer who is putting a development on Halls Island gets special help from Parks to put in information for his EPBC. Why is this such a discrepancy? I’d like to say that if you don’t have accountability and transparency, you’ve denied it, delay, it’s denied. And I’d like to present the Stop-The-Secrets Bill to Cassy and Rosalie to put in parliament.
Cassy O’Connor
Thanks, Jen. Thanks so much for all the work you do to look after wild Tasmania.
Jen Smith
Someone has to because this government isn’t.
Journalist – unidentified
Why does Malbena matter so much in terms of being perhaps a case study of how these things work?
Jen Smith
Malbena is the test case for the privatisation of our public parks. Malbena sits in the World Heritage Area; World Heritage listing is not given lightly. You shouldn’t be having wilderness developed. Wilderness and development, aren’t they opposite things?
Journalist – unidentified
And what actions are you taking to further your cause at the moment? Where are things at?
Jen Smith
The Fishers and Walkers Tasmania group is very active about letting people know about this. It’s actually very simple. Once people know that public lands are being developed by a private developer – and being helped by the public so-called public servants – they get very angry, and they are contacting their politicians to let them know that public lands are public.
Journalist – unidentified
Can you tell us a bit about the bill from your point of view? Why is it important to you?
Jen Smith
The bill is important to us because the public has a right to know what’s happening to public lands. And if you’re taking things, times like 657 days to get that information, and then a lot of it’s coming back heavily redacted, so there’s actually more black lines than there is words, that’s not on. that’s not accountable. And that’s not transparent. And you’re talking about public property.
Journalist – unidentified
Can we get Cassy back really quickly. Cassy, just tell us how what are the important differences between your Right-To-Information Amendment Bill and Labor’s which was tabled as well?
Cassy O’Connor
So we’re really pleased to see Labor take an interest in making sure that there’s transparency around developments in protected areas. The problem with Labor’s bill is related to the potential release of private information and also information that will reveal culturally and environmentally sensitive science. So we’ve had a good look at Labor’s bill and there’s plenty to commend it in its intent. But our bill is much better drafted, much better targeted, and we believe it is the right and purest path through to get transparency around development in public protected areas.
Journalist – unidentified
Sussan Ley is meeting with Bob Brown in the Tarkine today. Is that a positive sign for that movement?
Cassy O’Connor
Well, I hope that the Federal Environment Minister takes the time while she’s there talking to Bob Brown, to have a look at takayna / the Tarkine, to have a really good think about the future of that beautiful area. And it’s now in her hands. It’s one of the most important decisions that she will make as minister. And so we urge her to breathe in the Tarkine air and to experience those forests and make a decision based on nature and what’s right for future generations.
Journalist – unidentified
Is it tenable for David O’Byrne to return as Labor leader?
Cassy O’Connor
Obviously, there’s a Labor party investigation underway into Mr O’Byrne’s conduct, and the allegations that have been made by someone who previously worked with him. We don’t believe given that Mr O’Byrne has effectively confessed to sexually harassing this person, we don’t believe his position is tenable. And it’s compounded by the legal threats that he made to the ABC when they sought to get some answers about the allegations that had been made.
We need to make sure in this parliament, that we’re sending the right message into the community, and the right message to women, about the culture that we have in this building. And it’s really important that all of us uphold the really high standard.
Journalist – unidentified
Does the fact that there was that legal threat detract from his attempt to take accountability?
Cassy O’Connor
Yeah, it’s not a good look, when a journalist approaches you with information from a very, very credible allegation, for you to immediately turn around and issue legal threats. And then when it’s pretty clear that the story is going to be published, issue a mea culpa. Look, David, your position is untenable. You have admitted to conduct which is not in line with community expectations. And we don’t believe that position is tenable.
Journalist – unidentified
You say his position is not tenable, certainly as leader. Does he have to leave the parliament as well?
Cassy O’Connor
Oh, well, I mean, I think that’s a decision that only either David O’Byrne or the people of Franklin can make. This is about his leadership and whether it is tenable to have a person in a leadership position who has confessed to sexual harassment. It’s not tenable. As for Mr O’Byrne’s responsibilities to the people of Franklin, that’s a matter for him.
Journalist – unidentified
{inaudible] beekeepers to get more access to leatherwood?
Tom Allen
Well, we understand lots of beekeepers are really pissed off, frankly, that Forestry Tasmania continues to log leatherwood trees that they depend on for their livelihoods. Leatherwood is Tasmania’s agriculturally single most important plant species and it continues to be logged by Forestry Tasmania. There’s an MOU between the beekeeping industry and Forestry Tasmania, which is meaningless, because Forestry Tasmania continues to log the most important agricultural plant species on the island. What we need is leatherwood protected, the rainforest protected, and permanent protection for high conservation value forest.
Journalist – unidentified
Will the bill do anything to benefit your cause because you gain some more information?
Tom Allen
Who would have thought that parks privatisation depends on this sort of secrecy. This amendment will shine a light much-needed light on the murky parks privatisation process. We support the goal of Tasmania being a global eco-tourism destination. But that won’t be achieved by parks privatisation What this amendment does is open up transparency of the discredited public privatisation process, which is badly needed because people want to see what’s really going on.
Journalist – unidentified
And does The Wilderness Society have a desired outcome of Minister Lee’s meeting with Bob Brown today about the MMG tailings dam proposal?
Tom Allen
Definitely, we want the Tarkine protected, we hope Minister Lee recognises that. Ultimately we want to see the Tarkine / takayna added to the World Heritage Area in Tasmania. If and when that happens and we think it will ultimately, you’ll see a massive social, economic and ecological dividend flow to the north-west of the island. There’s more jobs in nature protection than there are in nature destruction.
