The News Review:
- Uniting against the mill
- Green pea harvest returns to southern Tasmania
- Tas hospital takeover ‘being finalised’
Uniting against the mill
The Age – Nov 20, 2007
We have come here today not to weep for the soul of ourbeautiful island home but to save it. We can stop this mill wemust stop this mill and we will stop this mill. We have watched our Tasmania raped as they chanted their lies. Rainforest has been redefined as wet sclerophyll old growth asmixed growth clearfelling as aggregated retention pillage asprogress greed as good truth as lies patriots as traitors. We now know that the mill failed to meet numerous ResourcePlanning and Development Commission guidelines and was nevercapable of meeting them. We now know that Gunns’ own evidence wasriddled with flaws and inaccuracies. We now know this mill is amonstrosity that threatens not only our health but also ourforests our wildlife our seas our water our economy ourfuture… In the past 20 years $1 billion of taxpayers’money — our money — has gone in subsidies to theTasmanian forestry industry an industry that destroys more andmore employs fewer and fewer and takes everything. The Australian Medical Association has warned Tasmania’spolitical leaders that they will be personally responsible for anyhealth problems arising from the pulp mill. nly in Tasmaniainstead of giving money to the hospitals to make the sick wellwould a government give money to a company to make the wellsick. They said they care about forestry jobs. But no Gunnsrepresentative no government spokesman no CFMEU brother stood upfor logging workers last year when they went to the wall as Gunnsslashed its contracts. Nearly two decades after its then chairman Eddie Rouse’s failedattempt to corrupt Parliament Gunns now is so powerful thatleading national politicians of all persuasions acknowledge thatthe real power in Tasmania is not the Government but Gunns itself. This goes beyond the sizeable donations Gunns makes to both mainparties in Tasmania and nationally.
Green pea harvest returns to southern Tasmania
abc.net.au – Nov 20, 2007
But as harvesting of this year’s crop began near Richmond on November 14 at least one grower was expecting to see some decent volumes produced. Morris Barwick has grown peas in the area for 35 years but chose not to plant any last season or the one before that. Higher prices drew him back to the vegetable this year and he’s got 202 hectares planted across several properties. At 35 hectares the pea paddock outside Richmond will yield around 200 tons of peas and would take two of the giant harvesters around 26 hours to gather. From the paddock the peas travel to Brighton to be washed before being trucked to Devonport where they are processed and frozen.
Tas hospital takeover ‘being finalised’
The Age – Nov 20, 2007
Prime Minister John Howard who campaigned on Tuesday in nearby Devonport but did not visit the hospital said the takeover was progressing. “The latest advice that I have is that discussions between the commonwealth and the state of Tasmania regarding the final details of the Mersey transfer to the commonwealth are well on track to produce a final takeover by the commonwealth towards the end of this week” he told journalists. Without the federal intervention the region of northern Tasmania would have lost the public hospital services to which they rightfully entitled Mr Howard said. Health Minister Tony Abbott has blamed the delay on the Tasmanian government. “It’s been a difficult task I’ve got to say the Tasmanian government has not been an easy negotiating partner” he told Sky News. “My understanding is officials of the commonwealth and Tasmania are working constructively together at this time to finalise the last few outstanding things and I’m very confident it’s going to happen this week. “Asked if the handover would be complete before the election Mr Abbott said: “That’s my hope and expectation… “The latest advice that I have is that discussions between the commonwealth and the state of Tasmania regarding the final details of the Mersey transfer to the commonwealth are well on track to produce a final takeover by the commonwealth towards the end of this week” he told journalists. Without the federal intervention the region of northern Tasmania would have lost the public hospital services to which they rightfully entitled Mr Howard said. Health Minister Tony Abbott has blamed the delay on the Tasmanian government. “It’s been a difficult task I’ve got to say the Tasmanian government has not been an easy negotiating partner” he told Sky News. “My understanding is officials of the commonwealth and Tasmania are working constructively together at this time to finalise the last few outstanding things and I’m very confident it’s going to happen this week. “Asked if the handover would be complete before the election Mr Abbott said: “That’s my hope and expectation. “The medical accreditation issues were raised by the independent registration board the Medical Council of Tasmania.