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Peg
Putt MHA - Media Release
GREENS OPPOSITION LEADER - TASMANIA Friday, 10 OCTOBER 2003 No Other Avenue than Senate Committee Appearance Available to Whistleblower The Tasmanian Greens today called on the government and forest industries to address the substantive claims made by Forest Practices whistleblower Bill Manning, pointing out that his 2 and hours of evidence to the Senate Committee was backed up with full documentation and was far from generalised accusations claimed by forestry spokesmen attempting to fob off the issues. Greens Opposition Leader and spokesperson on Forests, Peg Putt MHA, also attacked claims regarding the giving of evidence under Parliamentary privilege, pointing out that Mr Manning had tried to use the appropriate channels to no avail in passing his information to the State Attorney-General and to the Ombudsman, that he was prevented by the State Services Act from speaking out, that Whistleblower legislation is not in force in Tasmania, and that he only went to the Senate committee when a subpoena required his attendance. Ms Putt stressed that Parliamentary privilege is a necessity in cases such as this where a culture of bullying and intimidation operates to victimise and attempt to silence a person who has the courage to speak out. There are serious and specific allegations of illegal acts by high ranking public officials involved with forest practices backed up by extensive documentation, and the substantive case of a series of corrupt actions which has been detailed by Mr Manning must be addressed, not fobbed off with absurd rationalisations, Ms Putt said. Mr Manning was forced into giving evidence under Parliamentary privilege after he tried the correct channels in Tasmania to no avail, could not go public without threat of prosecution due to the conditions of state service employment, and with whistleblower legislation still not in force in Tasmania. The purpose of Parliamentary privilege is precisely to cater for situations like this where the whistleblower would otherwise be bullied and intimidated into silence, and even then Mr Manning had to be subpoenaed before he made an appearance before the Senate committee. The level of character assassination we are now hearing is a measure of the accuracy of Mr Manning s evidence. We will not let these serious allegations rest until government answers the specific charges, including the falsification of audit documents tabled in Parliament, the deliberate failure to prosecute for fauna breaches, and the withdrawal of Mr Manning s authority and the failure to prosecute breaches of the Forest Practices Code by Forestry Tasmania in the Bass and Murchison districts, Ms Putt said. Why did the senior law officer of the State, the Attorney-General, fail to take action, and why did he instead hand the evidence to the head of the Forest Minister's Department when this could be expected to lead to the perpetrators being informed of the attempt to have them exposed? For Comment: Cath Hughes on 0419 886 304 |
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