Ms O'CONNOR question to PREMIER, Mr HODGMAN
Can you understand why an increasing number of Tasmanians believe your Government has declared war on the environment and Tasmanians determined to protect it? Is picking fights and ignoring community concerns over high conservation value forests, fish farm expansions, development in wilderness areas and the cable car, to name a few, the core of your election strategy?
The latest EMRS polling shows that your Government is on the nose with voters. Given the crash in your support over the past six months, will you now admit that your decisions to declare war on the Tasmanian environment is not only destructive and divisive, it is becoming increasingly unpopular as Tasmanians wake up to the fact that yours is a do-nothing government that only wants to divide communities and damage priceless environmental assets?
Government members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER - Order. The member has the call.
Ms O'CONNOR - Given its enormous value to the Tasmanian economy, why has your Government launched a full-frontal assault on this island's environment?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for her question; farcical in the extreme. On the one hand she claims that we are a do-nothing government, and on the other hand she claims we have declared a full-front assault on environmentalists. I believe what the member for Denison is disappointed with is that we are a government that is doing things. We are taking action. We are delivering on what we promised and we are delivering on what we took to the election.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER - Order. Allow the Premier to speak.
Mr HODGMAN - The sorts of things that you talk about are what we took to the election and what Tasmanian people voted on. That is the most important poll, I have to say. We are not concerned with polls.
The first question you ask back in this place is all about a poll and about yourselves. Our concern is doing what we promised, delivering our plan, and supporting our competitive strengths. That includes industries like mining, forestry, agriculture, aquaculture, and the rapid growth in our tourism industry, which we are strongly supporting. We have detailed our very strong plan for the year ahead. Tasmanians can know that we are delivering what we promised and that we have a plan.
It is a plan to grow the economy, to create more jobs. The only people who are welcoming any idea of a fight are the Greens, because it gives them a reason for being. Trying to start wars is the one thing that gives them relevance. We want to continue the job of growing our economy, supporting more jobs, and ensuring there is an appropriate balance between development, progress and environmental protections, which we are demonstrating. It is all detailed in this plan. I suggest members opposite have a look at it and start developing one of their own.
