In Parliament today ...... The Hodgman Government tried to ram through the amended Tasmanian Forests (Rebuilding the Forest Industry) Bill 2014, without debate. Using legitimate forms of the House, the opposition parties held off the Vote but its only a short stay from passing, paving the way for 1.5 million hectares of reserves to be opened up to logging. The decades of conflict over forests in Tasmania look certain to continue after a brief pause created by the now abandoned forest peace talks. The Liberals are also set to axe the independent Tasmanian Community Fund Board, established in 2005 to administer proceeds from the sale of Trust Bank for community grants. If the Bill to abolish the Board gets through the Upper House, the $5million annual fund will be administered and allocated through the Premiers own Department. Hansard, Thursday 28 August 2014 .... TASMANIAN COMMUNITY FUND Ms OCONNOR question to PREMIER MR HODGMAN [10.18 a.m.] Can you confirm that in todays State Budget your Government will abolish the independent board that administers the Tasmanian Community Fund? Can you confirm, therefore, that the independence of the fund will disappear under your Government and that these funds, which are there to be administered on behalf of the Tasmanian people, will become politicised grants in the Department of Premier and Cabinet allowing your Government to pork barrel and allocate public funds as political favours to your constituency? ANSWER Madam Speaker, I can assure the member that there will be no moves to politicise in any way the distribution of this important fund. I am not going to speculate about the specifics of the Budget. Unlike the former government we are serious about ensuring public funds are not used in a way that politicises their distribution. We saw the former government, of which Ms OConnor was a minister, overrun the Premiers Discretionary Fund in an extraordinary display of politicising the use of public funds for political advantage. It did not work, but it did not stop you trying. Ms OCONNOR - Point of order, Madam Speaker. I asked about the Tasmanian Community Fund, not the Premiers Discretionary Fund, and about the appropriateness of it being administered through your own department. Madam SPEAKER - I am going to make the same ruling that I have consistently made in this regard. Mr HODGMAN - I have provided the member with the assurances to which the question was concerned. I can assure the former minister that, unlike the government in which she was the minister, we are not going to politicise the distribution of public funding. We are going to be serious about reining in the costs of boards and committees and other things which under your government blew way out of control. We are going to have a budget that the state can afford and we can sustainably manage. We will not be politicising the distribution of public funds in the way that you guys did. Opposition members interjecting. Madam SPEAKER - Order. The honourable Premier will resume his seat. I am not going to remind any member again today about the disrespect that they are showing not only for each other but rulings from the Chair. If I say order I mean it. The next person who ignores me whilst I am talking or on my feet will be ejected. I do not want to have to do that today. It is an important day but I am not going to stand for disrespect. The member for Franklin, while I was just talking, opened his mouth and said something. I give him a last and final warning. I do not want to have to eject him but if you have that sort of wilful disregard then I will.
Posted on: Thu, 28 Aug 2014 09:41:47 +0000
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