Proposed Mandatory Sentence for Activists

[waterboy 2.0]

Protesters in Hodgman's sights

By PATRICK BILLINGS Dec. 8, 2013, 10:49 p.m.

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IN A hardline Australian first, environmental protesters who enter Tasmanian workplaces will face mandatory jail terms under a Liberal government.

In a key platform of the Liberals' forestry policy, ``illegal'' protesters would also be hit with $10,000 on-the-spot fines - a 26-fold increase - for ``invading'' a workplace.

Under the crackdown, corporations that ``incite or encourage this illegal behaviour'' would attract fines of up to $100,000.

Kick-starting his party's election campaign yesterday, Opposition Leader Will Hodgman said: ``We will send a very clear and strong message to people who engage in illegal protests and who cost Tasmanians jobs.

``Under the Liberals there will be no get-out-of-jail-free card if you repeatedly invade a workplace.''

The tough law-and-order stance comes just months out from the next state election.

It also coincides with the federal government's reaffirmed pledge to unwind the landmark Tasmanian forest peace deal that was meant to end three decades of forestry warfare.

Under the protest policy, first-time offenders who enter or impede access to a workplace will face on-the-spot fines of $10,000.

Second-time offenders will serve three-month mandatory jail terms at a minimum.

Fines of up to $50,000 and five years' jail could be slapped on protesters who damage property.

Environmental organisations that encourage such behaviour could face a crippling $250,000 fine.

Mr Hodgman said protesters would also be liable to pay for any economic loss caused by their actions.

The Liberals would ``instruct police and emergency services to recover the costs of dealing with illegal protest activity,'' he said.

Currently illegal protests carry maximum fines between $390 and $650 under nuisance and trespassing offences. Both offences carry jail terms but these are rarely if ever applied to protesters without criminal records.

Mr Hodgman said it would be necessary to create a new offence of ``invading or impeding access to a workplace''.

It is unclear how such legislation might affect industrial action unrelated to a forestry protest.

Tasmania is not the only jurisdiction cracking down on activists.

Victoria's Liberal government has proposed $3000 fines for people protesting in logging coupes and $8660 fines for ignoring an exclusion order.

Last year Russian president Vladimir Putin introduced $9000 fines for unsanctioned protests, and Spanish legislators are considering $900,000 fines for people who protest near their parliament.

http://www.examiner.com.au/story/1959358/protesters-in-hodgmans-sights/?cs=95

can't see this being potentially misused....

*liberals.....shakes head

[gtarman]

This one goes out to the Liberal party...

[gtarman]

Seriously that's ultra fucked up. I'm of a mind to go down there and personally turkey slap any son of a bitch who even thinks about introducing these laws.

Was there some clause in the human rights charter that exempts Australia altogether? You get people in this country who commit heinous crimes and basically get off scot-free or get a minor slap on the wrist, but anybody who gets in the way of big business fucking our environment up the ass without lube gets their head served to a conservative ass-licker on a silver bloody platter for doing the right thing.

What the hell is wrong with these people. I seriously would like to know.

[PsillyBean]

Gotta love Government co-operation. No that's not it, I meant Government Corporation!

[Rabelais]

Seriously that's ultra fucked up. I'm of a mind to go down there and personally turkey slap any son of a bitch who even thinks about introducing these laws.

You won't be alone, many protesters come from interstate and have no connection to Tasmania or these communities.

The Greens will be absolutely slaughtered in the coming elections, from my point of view speaking with friends, there is very little support for Greens and activist groups. Young Tasmanians are increasingly feeling patronised by the Greens and environmental groups who think that we can't be trusted to look after our own state, one that we love very much and never take its uncommon beauty for granted. We're being environmentally regulated into oblivion and we're getting very pissed off and tired of seeing our best and brightest leaving.

[-RC-]

FFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKK THAT!

[waterboy 2.0]

The Greens will be absolutely slaughtered in the coming elections, from my point of view speaking with friends, there is very little support for Greens and activist groups. Young Tasmanians are increasingly feeling patronised by the Greens and environmental groups who think that we can't be trusted to look after our own state, one that we love very much and never take its uncommon beauty for granted. We're being environmentally regulated into oblivion and we're getting very pissed off and tired of seeing our best and brightest leaving.

Not having a dig Rabelais, just my bent and some balance....

The greens and "conservationists " and "environmentalists are different things..... it just the scare politics that blur the lines.

We had seen that when anyone protesting against the proposed pulp mill was a 'greenie", including folk that don't vote green and never protested about anything in their life. I watched a pro-forestry worker ragdoll an 70 year old woman at a legal public protest...yeah she was a threat.

I agree the rent-a-activist has not helped many situations (and pisses me off), but misinformed, apathetic locals don't help there either. I have had full on arguements with members of the Wilderness Society importing members into communities to push their agendas.

Can't just go blaming the "greenies" for an industry which is well in the death throes, and it was government sanctioned....

The horse is dead....and still they flog it

As just a redneck conservationist who has worked in several areas in forest industry,mining, the environmental regulator and also worked for quite few NGOs I see the debate going on within the community as pathetic and basically spoon fed via media....i.e politics. Seriously half these "greenies are locking everything up" mantras are just bullshit. Its now become like propagated chinese whispers.

The "locals" are too shit scared to stand their ground usually due to the high levels of at times violent intimidation that occurs, I've had several bullets dropped in my mailbox ....I thanked the fuckers involved when I informed them they were the right calibre for what I use. Funny the big bastards gave me a wide berth after that, then moved onto the next one....

We are very far from being over regulated in the environmental area.....IMO...and I have seen how the inner workings tick.

In fact I've been involved in some of the "rules" only to have politics cut them down to sub-standard, including contradictory to EMPCA (state env leg) and EPBC.....

I do believe some conditions on some recent mining approvals were ludicrous....but they came from the federal government....

The best and brightest do not want to work in forestry or mining I find in my conversations. Of the major projects I work around I barely see anyone under 30 in these fields now...and the work is there.

The government has made no real commitment to try to build up other industries... the sad thing is it is no "we" that looks after the state....and I don't trust who do for the record.

sorry a bit disjointed...tired just came back from a job site where they are digging a big hole in the ground and killing some trees as one of the biggest major projects that is going on right now.

EDIT...fark formatting gone astray...read at own peril

EDIT - originally put this up as I am concerned they will be used against groups such as say.....unions.

Edited December 10, 2013 by waterboy

[tripsis]

Wow, that is seriously fucked up. I truly hope this bullshit is not enacted. If protesting becomes a crime, we are all totally shafted. Australia just keeps getting worse...