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Mining Company ‘Spying’ Facilitated by LegCo
Media release – Bob Brown Foundation, 28 June 2022
Legislative Council spying must not go unchecked
The covert but apparently facilitated listening-in to Legislative Council hearings on the anti-protester legislation by mining company MMG, without witnesses being told of the arrangement, requires a public explanation, former Tasmanian parliamentarian Bob Brown said today.
“It is unconscionable that MMG was offered this facility but community groups and individuals were not. Other witnesses were not told that MMG was eavesdropping on their testimony by special, secret arrangement. MMG was enabled to provide a point-by-point rebutted of the other witnesses’ testimony to the Councillors without those witnesses knowing or being able to respond. It also appears that MMG’s response misled the members of parliament,” Brown claimed.
“MMG was, through this fraudulent process, able to make misleading and contestable claims about forest defenders’ behaviour, but no opportunity was given for rebuttal. For example, MMG claimed in writing to Councillors that it had never polluted the Stitt River near its Rosebery mine, even though newspaper reports (attached) show this to be false.”
“This is a very serious miscarriage of proper parliamentary procedure. A mining corporation should not be given priority treatment over local groups in testimony to our parliament. The President of the Legislative Council should explain how this process went wrong, take those who arranged it to task, and assure the public that it will not happen again.”
Below – Bob Brown Foundation rebuttal provided to MLCs on Thursday morning after becoming aware that MMG had listened in on a briefing by BBF and made responses.