Ms BADGER question to PREMIER, Mr ROCKLIFF
You have repeatedly had the opportunity to rule out individual GBEs from your fire sale, and you will not. All of Tasmania’s GBEs – except, of course, ‘sacred cow’ Hydro – are on the chopping block, including Forestry Tasmania and the Port Arthur Historic Site Management Authority. These are not only publicly owned GBEs. These are custodians of public land, this island’s production forests and the World Heritage Port Arthur Historic site. We are not surprised that you are privatising public land given your record in the Wilderness World Heritage Area, except that is not actually making you money. Tasmanians will not stand for this. This is more than selling off a government business. These are public places of deep local importance.
How did you manage to become so disconnected from everyday Tasmanians and will you today rule out a public land fire sale?
Mr Abetz – Acknowledging production forests as being of vital importance.
The SPEAKER – Minister Abetz, interjecting during a question is not acceptable.
Mr Abetz – What? I did not. I was talking to the Premier.
The SPEAKER – Do not look confused, minister Abetz. You know.
Dr Broad – That is his resting face.
The SPEAKER – Thank you, Dr Broad. The Premier has the call and the time starts now.
ANSWER
I have not seen minister Abetz’s face, but he is probably perplexed at the Greens saying how important production forests are in Tasmania.
Dr Woodruff – They are publicly owned forests; we want to end native forest logging.
Members interjecting.
Mr ROCKLIFF – You have moderated over the summer.
Mr Abetz – They need to be protected.
Mr ROCKLIFF – There you go.
Dr Woodruff – That is right. Thank you very much.
Ms Badger – Thank you.
Mr Bayley – That is right, new national parks and reserves.
The SPEAKER – Order, Leader of the Greens, Deputy Leader of the Greens, Ms Badger, and minister Abetz.
Mr ROCKLIFF – Production forests, the new Greens policy. How fantastic is that? That is great. Alright, thank you. That is interesting.
I believe I have expressed my view on this very clearly. While ruling out Hydro for the obvious reasons as we have expressed, why would we not look at all our GBEs in a sensible way? As I have said, we will not be selling all our GBEs. Some, or most, might be better in public hands, but some might be better and deliver services to Tasmania better, and the sale proceeds put into a future fund to benefit Tasmania and Tasmanians. Why would you not look at that?
It may have been the same thinking as the Labor Party back in their day when everything was on the table. They pretty much ripped through everything. Here we go: in 2011, Hydro sold off a major stake in the Woolnorth Wind Farms to a Chinese investment company for $88.6 million. In 2011, Labor sold a 50 per cent stake in Softwood Plantations to new forests for $156 million, with the state maintaining ownership of the land, of course. Riddled with the weak leadership of the Leader of the Opposition is utter hypocrisy
The SPEAKER – I actually think Ms Badger has a supplementary that I would like to hear before anybody else jumps.
SUPPLEMENTARY QUESTION
Ms BADGER – The original question was ruling out the fire sale of public land, GBE or otherwise. The Premier has not touched on the public land aspect of the question.
The SPEAKER – It was a specific question, Premier, and I will draw you to it. You did spend some time talking about everybody else’s sales.
Mr ROCKLIFF – I will correct the record when I said that, in 2011, Labor sold a 50 per cent stake in Softwood Plantations to New Forests for $156 million –
Members interjecting.
The SPEAKER – Can I ask members to all be quiet? Can I stop the clock for a moment? Premier, as you take the time to correct the record – which you absolutely should – it should not take up the time of a supplementary question. I might ask you to answer Ms Badger, and then I will give you leave to add to your answer to correct the record.
Mr ROCKLIFF – It will only take a couple of seconds. It was not the Labor Party that sold off, it was the Labor-Greens government that sold off a 50 per cent stake in softwood, so I want to make that correction.
The SPEAKER – .Premier, you are testing my patience today. The fact that I am here on my birthday is annoying enough. Do not test my patience. Answer the question from Ms Badger now.
Members interjecting.
The SPEAKER – Order, members on my right will be silent.
Mr ROCKLIFF – I mentioned GBEs specifically for a reason and GBEs it is.
