The Hodgman government is clearly looking to the Commonwealth for financial assistance to deal with moribund government business enterprise, Forestry Tasmania, following the Forestry’ Minister’s refusal in Parliament today to rule out that discussions are underway, Greens Leader and Forestry spokesperson Kim Booth MP said today.
“When asked to rule out any discussions with the Commonwealth seeking further financial assistance to bail out this GBE, the Minister failed to respond,” Mr Booth said.
“We can only now assume the answer is ‘yes’.”
“The Minister’s own secretive internal review of Forestry Tasmania is being kept behind closed doors without any good reason being provided, and without any promised timeframe from Mr Harriss for its public release.”
“It is becoming increasingly apparent that the Forestry Tasmania Review is being sat upon by the Minister until the Federal government can be persuaded to come in and save the day.”
“If this is the case, it will be just another slippery, slimy way to keep Forestry Tasmania on publicly subsidised life-support, without the State Liberals breaking yet again their election commitment to end those subsidies.”
“Come clean Minister Harriss. Do you have Tasmania’s begging bowl out to the Commonwealth yet again, in a desperate attempt to either prop up Forestry Tasmania or to purportedly transition into a different structure?”
“More federal funds being thrown into the forestry black-hole when teachers and nurses are being sacked, and essential services slashed, will rightly outrage the community,” Mr Booth said.