The Forest Industries Association of Tasmania (FIAT) confirmed to The Australian newspaper that it wrote to Liberal leader Will Hodgman expressing a willingness to engage on his alternative plan. Mr Hodgman’s plan locks in resource security for the industry without further trees being protected. Source: The Australian, ABC News
FIAT chairman Glenn Britton confirmed that his letter said that FIAT would “be pleased to engage further with you (Mr Hodgman) in respect to this policy position”.
His letter to Mr Hodgman suggested that “to facilitate that engagement we request you advise what strategies you may have in mind to deal with ongoing market attacks and protest activity” in the event the peace talks fail.
“Having an alternative strategy to deal with this activity could enable us to consider your strategy further,” Britton said in the letter.
Britton also said in the letter that FIAT would consider the Liberals’ alternative plan “at the same time we are considering whether or not we may be prepared to sign any agreement arising from the current (peace process) negotiations”.
“I don’t believe that whatever is in the Liberal Party platform will have any bearing on what we decide,” he said.
“We want to get an outcome (from the peace talks).”
He said the letter was in part a challenge to the Liberals to say how they would stop campaigns against Tasmania’s forest products in overseas markets without a peace deal.
The Tasmanian Parliament has resumed after an eight-week winter break and Tasmania is still without a final agreement.
About 250 people attended a meeting at Huonville earlier this week and passed a unanimous motion calling on the Government to tear up the peace deal.
