Howard shepherding Gay's pulp mill – Brown

 
In a breakdown of proper political process Prime Minister Howard is insisting Cabinet approve Gunns proposed pulp mill in Tasmania despite growing scientific evidence against it, Greens Leader Bob Brown said today.
"Howard has a cosy relationship with Gunns' supremo John Gay. The two consulted closely before the ambush on Mark Latham in 2004. However, Howard has no similar contact with the Tasmanian winegrowers, fisheries, farmers, and tourist operators facing the $3 billion negative impact if Gay's pulp mill goes ahead in the Tamar Valley," Senator Brown said.
"Now the Chief Scientist – restricted to looking at only a fraction of the mill's impact – has problems with the polluting mill. Howard's corporation powers, which he used to pass the notorious WorkChoices legislation, should be employed to have the Chief Scientist now look at the pulp mill's impact on Tasmania's high conservation value forests, on the Tamar Valley air shed, on greenhouse gas emissions, on water, and on the fisheries and vineyards and other business which are threatened. If the Chief Scientist has major problems, having looked only on the impact on Commonwealth waters and marine migratory species, then a look at the whole impact of the mill is essential, logical and politically proper," Senator Brown said.
"There will be a huge electoral backlash against taxpayers' money being used to apply bandaid environmental fixes to the Gunns mill," Senator Brown predicted.
The Greens candidates for Malcolm Turnbull's seat of Wentworth and Peter Garrett's seat of Kingsford Smith, Susan Jarnason and Sue Mahony, will visit the Tamar Valley on Friday.
Further information: Ebony Bennett 0409 164 603