The Hodgman government’s long awaited and over-due Review of Forestry Tasmania has only guaranteed ongoing uncertainty for the government business enterprise, and the Tasmanian taxpayer, Greens Leader Kim Booth MP said today.
“Paul Harriss’ much anticipated Ministerial Statement on his Review of Forestry Tasmania is the biggest anti-climax the Parliament has witnessed in years,” Mr Booth said.
“All this statement does is once again confirm what we already knew. The problems facing Forestry Tasmania are real, there is no more money, and the Minister doesn’t have a plan to resolve the situation.”
“It is doubly-frustrating for the Greens, as the Deloittes advice referred to by the Minister confirms everything we have been saying over Forestry Tasmania’s failed current business model, and for which we have been ridiculed and abused by this Minister.”
“The only concrete thing out of this Ministerial Statement is guaranteed ongoing uncertainty for the corporation, and the public purse, with an axe hovering over public assets.”
“It beggars belief that despite Minister Harriss’ statement finally acknowledging that Forestry Tasmania’s current business model is not financially viable, the government’s response is to still rely on the same components of that business model to fix the business model.”
“Sadly, given the Minister’s failure to tackle head on the need for real reform, the Greens predict that there will be more reviews into Forestry Tasmania, more uncertainty, and more costs borne by the taxpayer.”
“The Minister risks running Forestry Tasmania and the public pursue off the road, while he continues to blindly stare into the rearview mirror to failed policies of the past,” Mr Booth said.