Dr WOODRUFF (Franklin – Leader of the Greens) – Honourable Speaker, I thank the Leader of the Opposition for bringing this on. It’s an illustrative first choice of a private members time and the Greens won’t be supporting this motion. I will let you know, however, that there is one thing in it that I agree with. It is a fact that I said the Liberals have announced some significant policy shifts on greyhound racing, salmon farming, and native forests. That is a fact and the difference, unfortunately, between the way the Labor Party is operating and the way the Liberals are operating in government is that the Liberal government understands the political realities of the numbers in this House.
They are in a minority government situation and as the member for Franklin, Mr Abetz, just said, they recognise that we’re not blind to the fact that if Tasmanians hadn’t elected a much more progressive crossbench we would not be in a situation where the Liberals would fast‑track the end of greyhound racing. We’re not blind to that, but this is the parliament that Tasmanians elected. It’s more progressive.
It’s unfortunate that you said, Mr Willie, when you made your first press conference as the leader, that you would pause and reflect on Labor’s historically bad electorate result and do the hard work to earn Tasmanians’ trust. I’m not going to tell Labor what to do –
Mr Willie – No, you’re telling the Liberals what to do.
The SPEAKER – Order. Leader of the Opposition, I should not have to start giving warnings during your own private members business.
Dr WOODRUFF – but I do know that Tasmanians watch how we are in this place, and they want change. They have voted for change. It’s not what every person in this Chamber wanted the vote to be, granted, but that is what they voted for. It is more progressive and it gives us more opportunity for compromise and collaboration. That is what they demand and how we work together is the way that we can restore trust in politics.
It is a fact that the Premier has made those announcements and we welcome them, and regarding greyhound racing, so do 74 per cent of Tasmanians, who, in the latest EMRS poll, who made it blindingly clear that they find the images, the reality of dogs breaking their backs running round a track, the cruelty and suffering that gentle greyhounds experience, abhorrent. 74 per cent of Tasmanians, three out of four people, every person in this community finds it abhorrent that this state will continue to support greyhound racing and they want it phased out. Guess what? That’s what the Premier announced.
Like it or not, that is a fact. It’s also a fact that when you talk about sovereign risk for salmon corporations – sovereign risk is a term that gets thrown around very often, Madam Speaker, but let’s talk about it. Let’s talk about climate change and the environment. Let’s talk about the real risk to the Tasmanian salmon industry. It is first themself and second, warming waters from climate change. That’s what’s going on. We have opportunities about how we respond to that.
The Greens stand up for local communities and we are there every day fighting for the marine environment and we won’t stop doing that because we know those beautiful species that we see nowhere else on the planet other than Tasmanian waters are on the on the edge of disappearing because of warming waters. Their situation is dramatically compounded by the pollution that goes into the water from fish farms. We will continue to do everything we can in this term of government, as will other members in this place who have been elected on the basis that they will stand up for our marine environment and do everything they can to stop the Liberal and Labor parties that have been captured by multinational corporations and are doing nothing to stop that.
That is obviously being felt by the Premier, who’s a sensible man and who can understand that it’s actually good for industry. Why would industry be concerned about a review? The fact that people in the Labor Party are up in arms shows that they are reading straight from the playbook of multinational corporations, which certainly don’t want Tasmanians to understand what’s going on. They don’t want more transparency; they don’t want disclosure, because if they were ‘world’s best practice’, like we’ve had shoved down our mouths for the last 10 years from the Liberal and Labor parties, they’d have nothing to fear. However, they are afraid because things have to change. If that industry – and the jobs that go with it – is going to survive in Tasmania, it has to transform. It has to do it fast, or nature will speak for it. That is not an outcome we look forward to, not at all, because it would be devastating for a marine environment and local communities.
We have a situation where, unfortunately – I can’t help myself. I will give a bit of free advice to the Leader of the Opposition: be careful what you say; people in glass houses should not throw stones. It’s an old adage and we should all learn it. When Mr Willie says that words should matter and that people want predictability and certainty, just look at Labor. Look at yourself. Look at the awesome backflips you are renowned for in the community. This is why you don’t have the support of more people.
Mr Willie – But when they do a backflip, it’s good.
Ms Haddad – They do policy concessions and backroom deals, and we do backflips. Is that what it is?
The SPEAKER – Order.
Dr WOODRUFF – Look at the fact that you walked away from your long-standing opposition to mandatory minimum sentences last term –
Mr Willie – But that backflip is good?
The SPEAKER – Order, member for Clark, Ms Haddad, you can make your contribution later. I ask the Leader of the Opposition to stop interjecting because I’m sure you are writing down notes for your reply. Make it a little bit quieter.
Mr Willie – It’s just the hypocrisy is incredible.
Dr WOODRUFF – There is no hypocrisy here. I’m talking about your words. On 9 September, just yesterday, Mr Willie said in a supplementary question, ‘My question to the Premier is, will he establish TasInsure even if the Treasury recommends against it because of the financial exposure to the state of Tasmania?’ Let’s talk about financial exposure. Let’s talk about the Treasury advice on the stadium. Will Labor dump its position of supporting the stadium because the Treasury gave advice to us that it is a construction that we cannot afford.
Ms Haddad – It wasn’t enough for you.
The SPEAKER – Ms Haddad, warning.
Dr WOODRUFF – Labor didn’t get that briefing in the post-election period, despite the fact that I reminded Dean Winter on two occasions that he should. Labor chose not to get that briefing because it does not want to know. The Treasury knows it’s terrible for Tasmania’s budget. If you care about a budget crisis, then vote against the stadium. It will give us a multibillion-dollar debt.
Mr Willie – So if it’s a backflip and you agree with you, that’s good.
The SPEAKER – Mr Willie.
Dr WOODRUFF – Let’s also talk about collaboration on anti-protest laws. I listened to the speech from Mr Mitchell, a member for Lyons, and he said some rousing things about the great history of protest in the Labor Party. This is the party that also voted in the draconian anti-protest laws in Tasmania. Shame.
Let’s be clear, we understand the Liberals will always do what’s in their vested interest and our job here on the crossbench is to fight with commitment and conviction to get outcomes for Tasmanians. That’s what we’re interested in. There are no deals here. It’s just the mathematics of the parliament we’re in. We are working every day to have conversations, and we would welcome conversations with the Labor Party. We will do a front-room deal. We’re happy to introduce legislation.
Opposition members interjecting.
Ms Haddad interjecting.
The SPEAKER – Order, Ms Haddad.
Dr WOODRUFF – Let’s introduce the legislation together that the Labor Party promised on Airbnb and hasn’t delivered. We will support you on that. We will support you on fixing up Airbnb. It’s your policy; you backflipped on it. Let’s get it done.
Opposition members interjecting.
The SPEAKER – Order, thank you. To all the young people watching this, this is not how you behave in class, okay?
