The Hodgman government’s arrogance and contempt for proper democratic and parliamentary process is spiralling out of control, with the latest example being the Liberals’ failed attempt to ram through the House of Assembly the heavily amended Forestry (Rebuilding the Forest Industry) Bill 2014.
“The Hodgman regime is trying to degrade the Tasmanian Parliament to a mere rubber-stamp,” Greens Leader and Forestry spokesperson Kim Booth MP said today.
“The Liberals gagged the original debate on this shocker of a Bill when it first came to the Lower House which meant we were prevented examining the Bill in any detail before it was sent to the Legislative Council.”
“The Upper House has made numerous and substantial amendments to this Bill, many of which were moved by the government, which the Lower House has not had the opportunity to examine.”
“Then the Liberals try to ram this heavily amended Bill, which will destroy the possibility of restructuring a viable timber industry, and shamefully tears up current and future reserve protection for high conservation value forests, through the Lower House with barely one hour of debate allocated.”
“It is the height of extraordinary arrogance to prevent democratically elected representatives of the Tasmanian community from doing their job, by seeking to deny adequate time to consider and consult this latest version of the Bill which has been so dramatically amended.”
“The Liberals cannot escape public condemnation because their attempt to ram this Bill through such an undemocratic manner failed. The Hodgman regime stands condemned for thinking it was appropriate to even attempt to do so.”
“This is a shameful demonstration of a majority government spiralling out of control, drunk on power and not caring their totalitarian approach risks perverting our fundamental democratic processes,” Mr Booth said.