Yes..the Pope. What a classic.

Another line from tonight’s lovely (and well balanced) little expose was the pearler from Ivan Dean—the bit when he said he hadn’t made up his mind about which way to vote yet. He doesn’t seriously expect anyone to believe him, does he? If he had any doubts, a few days on planes and in airports with Tony Fletcher in his ear will sort him out, I’m sure.

John Pitt’s contribution to the episode tonight can, I believe, be safely dismissed on the grounds of a substantial pecuniary interest.

And it was a shame that the ABC couldn’t disclose that Sam McQuestin is not merely a talking-head small businessman—he is of course a failed Liberal state candidate with very close family connections to the board of Gunns.

Apart from that, jolly good show. If they didn’t know before, erudite ABC watchers across now know that something is indeed very fishy in the state of Tasmania.

really came across as an army of commonsense against a brace of whining uberbogans. And that’s even with the journo keeping it objective. Minister Turnbull’s contribution was also valuable, you know - the bit where he didn’t say anything because there’s really nothing he could say.

Just in an unfettered moment of madness, let’s assume the retarded paradigm that is the pulp mill gets the greasy pawed sign off from those with the power.
The main thrust of the pro pulp mill lobby has been the threat to job security in the forest industry and the leash restraining unbridled progress for thousands of “blue collar” workers.
292 permanent positions are up for grabs at this chemical factory, a place where they will use 100,000 tonnes each year of who knows what to turn mostly native forest into pulp.
They have the precise number of jobs, but no one seems to have a list of what the jobs are and who in Tasmania is likely to land them.
I would have thought by now they would have a short list of people ready to go, ready to slip straight in once their 18th century effigy to the industrial era is built.
Obviously not, but perhaps the “spin wing” of the proponent, the Tasmanian Government, would be so kind as to enlighten its loyal subjects about the fabled jobs.

Another subject near and dear to my heart is construction. After all, most of my working life has been around construction and civil works, earthmoving and the like.
This project is huge, a massive undertaking on a strict timeline, with intense financial pressures.
One look at the proponent’s share price says they are way undervalued to afford this behemoth.
If it was my project to run, or to at least source labour and materials, there is a one stop shop that would be squarely in my sights, a place where most of Australia’s consumables originate.
China.
A place that has enormous quantities of everything at bargain basement prices, labour included.
How would I build this giant jigsaw puzzle?
Import everything at prices obtained by screwing everyone and everything down to the wire.
Chinese love to haggle, so just find a few “players” and down come the prices.
Ok the labour and material source are set, so how would I go about building this rabid nightmare?
Clear the trees is first up and we all know the clear fell experts are right here in Tassie and I surmise the only jobs that Tasmanians will extract from this proposal.
Next comes lots of explosives to level the site out, which is a Chinese specialty, closely followed by the proposed dock with massive cranes.
Lots of formwork, lots of concrete will be needed next and they will come via bulk ships and be pumped or conveyed to onsite batching plants.
Next will be the myriad of structures and pipe work, the larger more complex will be made in China and shipped then craned into position, assembled by Chinese workers (who have lots of experience in building pulp mills). They work for pittance and can be housed on site and fed rice and road kill wallaby (sorry just a bit of wanton mirth to interrupt the flow there).
All manner of entertainment can be cheaply set up on site eg movies, badminton, Chinese checkers etc.
So there you have it Tasmania, a quick and easy way to wack up a pulp mill.

One more twist to my tale of Tassie woe.
Now don’t forget the legislation that says the proponent can sell the project, so queue the Chinese for that special deal.

Anyone like to argue the toss?

If someone has a different story, then perhaps they can enlighten me as to how Tasmania will be involved in the construction and running of this proposed chemical factory?
Be the first, because as sure as night follows day and Paul follows Gay no one yet has come forward to let us know.

It is such a shame that the ABC has sunk to it’s lowest I can recall!
Why did they bother?  What a load of superficial wishy washy rubbish dressed up as investigative journalism.  I was thinking while watching it that Andrew Ollie must be churning in his grave. 

I will not bore my self with the long list of omissions of this “report”.  The program was weak as piss, pissing in the pockets of Tamar Valley residents.  Gather the ABC didn’t want to upset the CFMEU, one of many players not even getting a mention. Or failing to declare the credentials of Sam McQuestion and that by the benefit of large developments to his business, the champion meant selling more grog and cigarettes. 

Politicisation of the ABC and journalists in general are a large contributing factor to the erosion of democracy and criminalisation of the Parliamentary processes in this state, and beyond.  It might be a good time for journalists to re-read John Doyle’s Andrew Olle memorial address from 2005, the most poignant piece of journalism ever, as he put it succinctly in his final sentence:

“If the examination isn’t exacting or truthful and without fear or favour, then this universe’s accidental experiment with self-awareness and consciousness may well have been a total waste of time” 

Last night highlighted what he was on about.  Read or listen to his speech in full to be enlightened again or be amazed if this is your first time: http://webdiary.com.au/cms/?q=node/841 

This place is doomed.  It is now certain that this mill will be built followed by many other similarly inappropriate developments around this country, nuke plants included.  Anything is fair game.

I was disappointed it wasn’t mentioned that a lobbyist for Gunns sat uninvited with groups of MLCs when they deliberated on amendments to the fast track legislation.  The word “dioxin” was not said once!

The John Doyle lecture is every bit as good as Jana Wendt’s, though completely different, and they’re both brilliant. His can perhaps be read 100 times without becoming over-read. I think the 4 Corners ep was a floodlight more than a blow torch, but I think that makes it still significantly better than it could have been and still definitely good enough to educate people en masse. The contrast between Wright and Lennon in their manner of speaking was obvious.

I scrawled a quick review here before I became too plagued by my own questions and qualms about the show.

Far more interestingly, go here for the full interview with Paull Lennon in 2004 by Ticky Fullerton for 4Corners. This is most likely the reason why he swore off ever talking to 4Corners again. It also shows why it is a shame that the 4Corners web extras for Grist To The Mill doesn’t currently include the full transcripts of interviews which were cut together for the show.

re: 3

Dave makes a good point about the capacity for major structures to be built offshore and then shipped in.

This can make a major difference in construction costs, particularly given the shortage of experienced workers. It could also be important on the issue of fugitive emissions - these are due to defective workmanship, maintenance or materials with insufficient design for containment.

A reason for preferring Tamar over Hampshire may be due to the ability to ship in very large pre-built modules (as likely to have been built in Java, Singapore, or Korea as China) to the Tamar site. The local workforce then just does the site works and connection of the modules.

The impact of this would be a far lower construction workforce and economic ‘boost’ to Tasmania. It may also result in a better plant, but only if the interfaces between modules have been extremely well designed and specified, which based on Gunns inability to manage the RPDC’s requirements, is not assured.

re: Tom “This place is doomed” Don’t be a cheese eating surrender monkey. Everything is still in play with good odds of ultimate victory as long as the people of the Tamar are willing to put their time and money into ensuring their concerns are heard and the scientific issues are effectively addressed.

The words of Winston Churchill (radio broadcast on June 4 1940) are particularly appropriate…

“We shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end. ...we shall fight on the seas and the oceans, ... we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be. We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender.”

Tom, I’m afraid I have to agree with you as sad as the realization of the inevitable is! When Gunns complete this monstrosity and its potential sale (to the Chinese)looms, perhaps they can cite ‘position, position’ in their sale brochures?

As for Sam McQuestion (I like that) he wears the truth like he wears his suit, crumpled and ill fitting.

Don’t worry I’ll turn my own lights off as I leave!

Its quite simple really. Former Supreme court judge Christopher Wright told us
“Well it obviously was special treatment for Gunns. It was being given an opportunity to in effect make its case that no-one was else was given or would be given”
Just as the Premier agreed to support John Gays attempt to get his pulp mill when they had dinner together all those years back in hobart, so the support remained all the way through to the present. There is overwhelming evidence that a clear understanding existed between John Gay and Paul Lennon that if Gunns were to pull out of the RPDC process that Paul Lennon would give him a parliamentary fast track process. Even though all the evidence poined to the fact that despite Gunns complaints that the RPDC was too slow for them the opposite was true. Gunns were infact to balme for all of the delays.
Paul Lennon did the wrong thing by the people of Tasmania, the parliament and the RPDC by rewarding Gunns for bad corporate beahviour instead of disciplining them by sending them back to the RPDC. Most Tasmanians see this and believe this. The weak kneed suckholes who continue to support Gunns and the Premiers pulp mill, despite knowing all of the above are a disgrace and history will not judge any of them kindly

Since the Tasmanian government has backed the pulp mill proposal mainly on economic grounds. Not waiting for independant finding. I find myself unable to go to Tasmania for a holiday, thus not spending my money in the state.

Also I will not buy any product that is produced in Tasmania. Don’t take it personally; my decision is made on pure economic grounds.

I applaud you, Greg.  If more people out there had your attitude, this government might begin to get the message.  It has a good old whinge when overseas woodchip markets are undermined by Greens and Wilderness Society campaigns; how it would react when the shoe is on the other foot, and its own actions have caused damage to Tasmania’s economic credibility, would make for very interesting viewing indeed.

Yep I was very dissapointed with the show as well.
No mention of the facts like
Dioxins and Furans into Bass strait
that Bass Strait will not flush and the whole toxic smelly soup will just stay there forever
That logging will increase to 7 million tons as Gunns have stated that they will keep up export woodchips to pay for the mill.
That our rivers and streams are already toxic from the chemicals that plantation managers are pouring into them
That the air is so full of particulates in Autumn that we choke on the so called forest waste going up in smoke
That Sam McQuestion is the son of one of Gunns Board members and a failed Liberal party candidate.
That Pitt and Sherry have had very large sums of money thrown at them on the pulp mill and will get heaps more work ...
That the rent a crowd rally had far less than the 4,000 that was quoted at it.
That the non rent a crowd protestors are not all drum playing dreadlocked hippies as we were stereotyped by the into.
I was hoping for something with Teeth like the 4 corners enquiry that brought down Jo Bjelke Peterson but maybe those times have passed, and we are doomed to live in times of spin and bullshit.
Like Andrew* said let’s just keep on fighting, or we will all have to leave as the corruption will stink so much the mill will smell like roses in comparison.

*That should be Alex: Ed

re # 7, Gunns do not have a preference of Tamar over Hampshire and the story about transport costs is bull. They know that the Tamar site has air issues and harder to get approved, once it is built they are going to build #2 mill at Hampshire to service their 110,000 ha of plantations in the NW. This info comes from very close to the big man himself.

What an absolute disgrace! I have never seen such an appalling episode of 4 Corners in my life. This once mighty bastion of investigative journalism has sunk to the lowest nadir.

I bet the floor of the 4 Corners cutting-room can barely be seen under the sea of edited tape. Anyone who ever had any doubt about how effectively the Howard Government has applied the muzzle to the ABC, can now throw any such doubt out of the window. My spine shivers in the knowledge of how much the Forest Industry and Gunns has infiltrated and perturbed our [once] democratic processes.

The errors and omssions where horrendous. The resignation of Julian Green glossed-over, the entire chronology of the undermining of the RPDC process forgotton. Dr. Raverty, a key player, only briefly interviewed and incorrectly presented as having resigned because the Greens challenged his appointment when Raverty himself has said that he resigned due to Tas Govt “machievellian” interference.

No mention whatsovere that Christopher Wright did indeed eventually resign for the same reasons - if you where a mainlander you may have been left with the notion that Wright threatened to resign but stayed on. Not the case.

Hyopthetical discussion that the RPDC may have branded some issues as hysteria - like air pollution!! Indeed. And by the way, the problem is due to an atmospheric temperature inversion, not an “air-shed”. Symptomatic of the school-boy science engaged by the program. No mention of the calculation of fatalities due to air pollution and comments from Dr. mannis incorrectly presented as a summary of air-pollution in toto. He could only have been referring to the [very limited] PM10 data as there are no PM2.5 data or less (the most dangerous particulate size).

In summary, a shameful load of shallow and pathetic claptrap dressed up as “journalism”.

#10. ‘I find myself unable to go to Tasmania for a holiday, thus not spending my money in the state.’

That’s alright Greg. You keep you’re B money. Don’t need these blow-ins telling us what to do.

If you can also keep the other 50 000 or so of these unwanted tourists away as well, it will prove old John and Paul were right and really show the Tassies just how dependent they are on this Mill.

One thing’s for sure. This debate has become so absolutely divisive that if the mill does actually get built then one side or the other will walk away without a shred of credibility.

If the problems claimed by the opponents do in fact occur then I doubt we’ll see another Labor government for quite some time.

If the problems claimed by the opponents don’t occur then that’t probably the last we’ll ever hear in terms of large scale environmental activism in Tasmania.

No matter the arguments for or aginat the mill itself, it’s reality that both sides have bet everything they have on being right.

And with views so opposing, one side MUST be wrong.

Here’s something to ponder—the government and the Vested Interests Cheer Squad jumped up and down about Lords of the Forests when it aired a couple, and this was indeed cited on Monday night as the reason why Lennon wouldn’t talk this time around (instead left looking like a very shifty time-share real estate salesman from the Gold Coast in a most inarticulate doorstop interview outside Parliament House).

There won’t be such a reaction this time, will there? There is, as #14 above makes clear, a very real argument to put that pendulum has swung too far the other way, but it suits the government and the VICS nicely this time so nothing but silence from them.

I mentioned balance in an earlier post; all very warm and cosy, in hindsight, but it doesn’t always make for the best investigative journalism.

Also a bit disappointed on this score: no mention of slate from Barry Chipman.

I reckon they’ll build this mill over my dead body.  Fair dinkum.  There are times when you just have to make a stand.  They could arrest 5000 and go ahead.  They could shoot a few and go ahead.  But there has to be a limit.

I’m nearing the end of my “allotted span” anyway, so a couple of decades less for the sake of my grandchildren seems a reasonable trade-off.  I’m not suggesting anybody under 60 becomes a martyr, but we oldies should think seriously about what will be effective.

There was an incident in Mexico a few years back when three local protesters were killed by security guards for trespassing on the site of a proposed development that was going to stuff up the economy and the environment of the area.  It went ahead anyway.  It might be worth investigating how many deaths it will take.

I have never fully endorsed the principles of non-violence, but still I probably wouldn’t take any of their stooges with me.  Probably.

Please read the ABC 4-Corners Guestbook entries…it shows what people really think on this issue.

For Example: Shadrack writes:

Congratulations to Liz Jackson & the producers of 4 Corners for this program. One thing should be abundantly clear to mainland viewers…...the considerable self-censorship and bullying that operates within the Tasmanian community.

Intimidation and bullying play a role in silencing dissent and protest. At the same time the well-financed corporate-government associations create the propaganda and spin that work through much of the local Tasmanian media. Money rules!

The deceitful and malevolent underbelly on this corrupt saga was not really exposed in this 4-corners expose. It did not examine the huge machine that lies ‘underground’ in this pulp mill controversy.

Come back again ABC and get to the backroom deals between Gunns Ltd and Lennon’s Government. Investigate the motivation and histories of some of the long-time players; those that work up front and those that work ‘behind the scenes’.

Tasmania is a beautiful place, but it’s being treated like a Game of Monopoly by the ‘names’.

I wonder if 60 minutes will go in harder.  The way they pursued Paul Lennon after the “Business” breakfast chances are they will.  Remember they are driven by ratings.  They wouldn’t be covering the story if they didn’t have something new or sensational to deliver to their viewers. Maybe just maybe they have found a whistleblower.  We can only hope!

Unfortunately the example set by the Uber Bogan is fast becoming the accepted model of government in Tasmania, at a local as well as state level, if his henchman who administer the Huon Valley Council are anything to go by.

Despite over 50% of Dover’s population being opposed to unecessary roadworks which will cut through our foreshore open space (ref The Mercury, p 9, 31 July) council are taking Michael Aird’s pulp mill approach, “We don’t have to be objective because it is our preferred option.”

Any opposition has been met with the same baseball bat diplomacy.

It is now 3 years since Richard Butler resigned from the position of governor. In his address to parliament, Paul Lennon repeatedly stressed that he sought Mr Butlers resignation “to protect the good name of Tasmania”

“I was not prepared to expose our growing economy, our business and community confidence and the positive view of Tasmania’s future.
I was not prepared to risk any of that.
Action needed to be taken to ensure that the good name of Tasmania was protected.
My clear advice was that the controversy surrounding Tasmania would continue and that it was unlikely to subside.
The only way to end the controversy was for him to resign.” (Paul Lennon August 2004)

The full speech is at http://www.premier.tas.gov.au/speeches/response.html

In Paul Lennons own Code of Conduct statement (available at) http://www.dpac.tas.gov.au/govtguidelines/codeofconduct.pdf

“MPs must strive to maintain high standards of personal conduct to avoid bringing discredit on the Government, the Parliament and the State of Tasmania.”
Well Mr Lennon, Tasmania is now embroiled in a mire of controversy, you yourself have well and truly discredited the good name of Tasmania, and if you have one iota of moral fibre in your body you will apply the same standards that you set for Richard Butler 3 years ago. If your Labor party colleagues have any moral fibre or intellectual capacity they too will recognize that it is time for you to go and will have the moral strength to take the action is necessary “to protect the good name of Tasmania.”

Any Tasmanian PLP member who fails to act now will remain forever stained by their assosciation with this disgraceful episode.

Paul Lennon; your time is up, August 2007 is the time for you to resign.

“MPs must strive to maintain high standards of personal conduct to avoid bringing discredit on the Government, the Parliament and the State of Tasmania.”

wtf???

Surely the comrade must know this is a lie ... or would he like to call me out on this?

Yes, pilko…Paul Lennon was absolutely wrong in caving to Gunns Ltd withdrawal from the RPDC process of assessment. The executive commissioner of the RPDC, Mr Simon Cooper effectively told the Premier this in his letter dated 23 March 2007.

This is the action from a Premier who so wholeheartedly backed the RPDC assessment process.

For him to then accept Gunns Ltd withdrawal in March this year was totally unacceptable. The only explanation for his appreasement must be that Lennon is no longer fit for the public office of Premier. His parliamentary ALP colleagues - if any of them have the courage - should tell him so. He has allowed himself to be used as the instrument of a single private corporation.

He is no longer fit for this high public office.

Lilly White - “Any Tasmanian PLP member who fails to act now will remain forever stained by their association with this disgraceful episode”. How perfectly true.

But one of the tragedies of our “system” is that these members won’t take this idea literally, as though there were some objective moral truth (which there is, as Terry Martin realises); no, each one will instead be weighing up the likely fallout - how bad will the stain be? Can I carry on long enough so that most people will forget about it? Of those who do remember, will they have enough clout to harm me?

And for most of those members, the analysis of likely consequences won’t take long. Of course I can get away with it! Most people won’t give a damn after a few weeks - they all know that almost all politicians are shonky, snout-in-the-trough types anyway, and anything I do now won’t make them any more likely to vote for someone else instead. The only way my sky might fall in is if I cross the boss, the guy with the power at the moment. If I just go along with him, I’ll be OK. And it’s obvious what he wants.

Let’s see for how many (or how few) I am wrong!

PS - The time for a genuine moral stand against this government’s disgusting processes was really back in April, when the Pulp Mill Assessment Bill was debated. The issues were then quite clear. The pros and cons of “the mill” and of “the process” were quite separate. And apart from the Greens and a few Legislative Councillors, everyone flunked out. So the signs for a better result this time don’t look good.

And worse still - this time a “good guy” vote actually has to be a vote against the “Pulp Mill Permit” - the mill itself, not just the proposed process. And some members, bless their hearts, might actually think the mill would have a net benefit to the State. Nevertheless, for the hypothetical “respectable politician” wanting to salvage something from this wreckage there is only one decent thing to do. There will never be another chance.

I acknowledge all the well made points surrounding the forestry corruptions rife here in Tasmania.

The biggest industry in Tasmania is our Tourism Industry, not the pillaging destroying forestry industry.

Forestry actively fights against our tourism industry, by its statewide poisoning programs, forestry burn-offs, visions of huge scarred devastated regions, wildlife slaughters, clear-felling of our Ancient Forests.
Why is this, obviously so that Gunns can amass huge profits to ship out of our State to the money-greedy big-boys on the mainland.
The Major Banks in Australia for example.
Let us briefly peer into what the Lennon Government is doing to wreck this tourism industry and the lives of so many people reliant on Tourism.

Today, huge charges, in the hundreds of dollars are demanded from tourists to walk the trails in our National Parks.
All vehicle entry fees to parks have been jacked up.

We had the Government debacle here of so many millions of our dollars being poured into the huge loss-making 3rd Spirit of Tasmania.

The Government in its ever failing wisdoms has jacked up the costs to travel the Melbourne-Devonport Ferry, further limiting the affordability of so many would be mainland tourists.
Then there was the recent reductions & closures of tourist information entities.

The claimed spending of many many millions of dollars by this State Government to boost tourism, this itself needs a careful probing audit, to see just who this money went to and what was actually received for all these grandiose spouted millions.
My guess is that some pre-selected crony consultants did quite handsomely out of this money from heaven.
There is not much left to say here about this failed ignorant bully Premier and the downturn in our tourism visitor numbers.

The word passing around on the mainland is that Tasmania has become a notorious rip-off place to travel to for a family holiday.
Why is this so?

Maybe some of Lennon’s nodders and yes-men may know the answers, yet this failure like so many other failures, will be hidden from us all by bluster, bullying and thug threats.