Greens Leader and Forestry spokesperson Kim Booth MP today described government funded payments to selected sawmills as potentially constituting corrupt behaviour and has referred the matter to the Tasmanian Integrity Commission.
“I have referred this matter to the Integrity Commission because they are the only body capable of investigating independently this disgraceful affair,” Mr Booth said.
“The Hodgman regime has taken money from hospitals and schools and handed it over to selected private sawmill businesses without any justification, and apparently without any performance requirements or conditions.”
“To prop up a select few failing businesses with public money, is a dangerous precedent and a gross abuse of trust and power.”
“The abusive response from Minister Harriss in parliament today leaves me in no doubt that the government is hiding something and that the Integrity commission should examine the matter.”
“This is just another example of appalling and arrogant majority Liberal government whom treat the public as a milking cow to buy political favours.”
“Most Tasmanians expect better than this and regard this sort of behaviour as corrupt and a return to the bad old days when timber barons walked the corridors of power and parliament was their plaything.”
“It is deeply disturbing that it looks like Mr Harriss and Mr Hodgman are dragging Tasmania back to those dark and corrupt days of the past where cronyism ran rife,” Mr Booth said.