Cassy O’Connor MP | Greens' Leader
The Premier's announced move to transform Brand Tasmania in to a separate statutory authority is a positive, but without a commitment from both the old parties to protecting the brand's integrity, it will only be window dressing.
Under the Liberals, the clean, green brand that underpins our agricultural and visitor economy is being damaged by plans to log in high conservation value forests, rampant fish farm expansion, plans for city skyscrapers, commercial developments in protected areas and new planning laws that will fundamentally change the look and feel of where we live.
Brand Tasmania in its current form, sadly, seems to have become a promotional mouthpiece for the policies of the government of the day, only recently devoting glowing coverage of the salmon farming industry at the same time as the national spotlight was on the damage it's causing to pristine waters.
The Liberals pay lip service to the brand. They want to claim credit for the economic and social benefits it brings, but their policies are undermining clean, green and natural Tasmania.
If the Liberals are serious about protecting the brand that underpins our economic strength, they'll not only make Brand Tasmania truly independent but also wind back their suite of destructive policies which are putting our national and international reputation at risk.