THE current premier must resign and an election called over the crisis in governance in the State of Tasmania.
As many commentators have suggested, the political charade played out over the last month confirms that there is certainly something rotten in the State of Tasmania.
Sadly the appeasing attitude of the Liberal leader of the Opposition shows that he is completely unfit to stand up to a bullying and devious premier and hence unfit to assume the office of premier. What would the late Bill Hodgman make of his grandson’s performance last week!
When the greedy manipulate the vanity of those in high office for their own ends, you have the beginnings of a rotting corruption and duplicitous deception; those greedy promising magical wealth and great kudos to the vane.
Directly or indirectly State and Commonwealth money has been given over to Gunns to develop and promote its Tamar pulp mill proposal. No-one in Tasmanian business or political circles has failed to ‘see’ this invisible cloth that is being feverishly woven out of the public’s ‘gold’ to be worn by our deserving ‘king’.
Of course the unsaid rule is that if you don’t see the value in this Project of State Significance then you are either stupid (like the Greens, TWS and the anti-development rump of Tasmania) or unfit for the office you hold.
So naturally none have claimed that they have not ‘seen’ this great mirage. And now we come to the end of this tragically sad parody … for now the elected premier has to wear this insubstantial garment that has been made expressly for him!
This is not a novel story line is to the Apple Isle. Just 10 days on the Island can show you how a populace is variously touched by the stench of patronage, self-censorship and grovelling.
How did Tasmania come to this … again?
It is not a year since that last political-corruption imbroglio engulfed Tasmania. The public conduct and probity of the deputy premier, Bryan Green was laid bare. In that case involving the State government’s deal with Tasmanian Compliance Corporation scandal, Mr Green’s personal actions were ultimately referred by the then Attorney-General, Judy Jackson to the Director of Public Prosecutions for investigation. Despite much filibuster and denial, in the Parliament and through press releases, the referral by AG to the DPP led to charges being laid forcing the deputy premier to resign his commission as a minister of the crown.
The charge he faces is that his actions in signing an agreement with the senior director of the TCC contravened a statute that forbids a minister-responsible from influencing the actions of any later minister or public officer. In effect the deed of agreement he signed committed subsequent Tasmanian governments to abide by it, even thought it was contrary to an Act of Parliament and therefore unlawful.
In the case of the unfolding revelations about the pressure RPDC panel chairman, Mr Christopher Wright was subject to by Mr Lennon, it appears that the current AG and deputy premier, Steve Kons is not willing to allow the DPP, Tim Ellis to investigate.
In another example of a controlling government, Steve Kons says he has received advice from the Solicitor-General, Mr Bale that Mr Lennon has no case to answer but Kons refuses to release details of the actual question he posed to the Solicitor-General, nor Mr Bale’s legal response to Mr Kons.
The crash-or-crash through approach of Premier Lennon are now becoming rather familiar but he bear fully responsibility for the carnage left in his wake — not just for state Labor but most importantly for the image of good governance in Tasmania.
We are all diminished by the arrogance and stupidity of our ‘naked’ premier. He is the one not fit to hold his high public office.
