The National Forum   Donate   Your Account   On Line Opinion   Forum   Blogs   Polling   About   
The Forum - On Line Opinion's article discussion area



Syndicate
RSS/XML


RSS 2.0

Main Articles General

Sign In      Register

The Forum > Article Comments > Rudd's manifesto - neoliberalism and the pulp mill > Comments

Rudd's manifesto - neoliberalism and the pulp mill : Comments

By Peter Henning, published 11/12/2007

The pulp mill is a real test of Kevin Rudd's belief in neoliberalism; and his integrity, moral authority and leadership.

  1. Pages:
  2. Page 1
  3. 2
  4. All
Convincing, i agree. Gunns should be shut down and the Tasmanian Premier impeached.
Posted by The Mule, Tuesday, 11 December 2007 4:08:53 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
As someone who feels that probably, on balance, the pulp mill as the plans currently stand will prove to be a mistake, I still take issue with some of the comments in this article.

For a start, in a truly neo-liberal environment there would be no need for government approval of anything - Gunns would purchase the land containing the trees and the land containing the plant, and would be free to do what they liked. Obviously this isn't the case.

Secondly, it's stretching it to suggest that Gunns didn't do a cost-benefit analysis, and that no environmental impact study was done.
If there's one thing I could trust Gunns on, it's that they have good reasons to believe that the pulp mill will make a profit - for them. Now, it may well be that the net economic effect on Tasmania (and indeed Australia) as a whole is negative, but it's hardly Gunns' job to determine that.

As far as the environmental impact studies that were done go, it certainly does seem that there were fairly significant issues not adequately covered. But I also suspect that even if a 12 month study was carried out by a team of the world's top scientists, and they concluded that the mill conformed to "world's best practise", it still wouldn't satisfy the naysayers.

Realistically, it's too late for Rudd (or Garrett) to turn around and block the mill. But they could at least introduce legislation that ensure that Gunns would have to pay heavily if any of the environmental regulations were breached, and would have to pay for any atmospheric carbon costs associated with the project. Further, someone might want to sit down and work out just how much Gunns could be liable for if it could be shown that their plant was having a detrimental effect on other nearby industries. Gunns can then make a decision as to whether it makes sense to continue the project as planned, or consider alternatives.
Posted by wizofaus, Tuesday, 11 December 2007 4:50:41 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
Why is it too late to block the mill? Construction hasn't started.

The grateful taxpayer will pay heavily for this mill for the whole of its operation as it uses feed logs that have been priced too low, the mill attracts TAX SUBSIDIES.

Then of course we have to add the costs of environmental degradation.

Why don't we make paper from hemp?
Posted by billie, Tuesday, 11 December 2007 5:40:14 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
so we are hoping kevvie is a philosopher king, are we? funny, every time i saw him, i thought: "politician."

if ozzies had the courage, persistence and simple common sense to get citizen intiative established in their native land, they could stop wishing good things would happen. they could make them happen.

don't know why they haven't figured that out, although a severe lack of courage, persistence, and simple common sense would be my guess.

this article is just another 'wish upon a star' nonsense. you gotta grow up and take responsibility for your future folks. nobody is gonna do it for you, they're too busy looking after themselves.
Posted by DEMOS, Tuesday, 11 December 2007 6:34:07 PM
Find out more about this user Visit this user's webpage Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
billie

'Why is it too late to block the mill? Construction hasn't started.'

Well billie there are quite a few residents of South Brisbane asking the same question about the parallel runway at Brisbane's international airport.
His opposition to that runway was politically opportunistic and resulted in his initial election as Member for Griffith but now Rudd, when he can do something about it, avoids the issue like he'd avoid the plague.
Posted by keith, Tuesday, 11 December 2007 8:04:35 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
Pulp Mill not in my backyard, oh it isn't then I don't care. Paper has to come from somewhere. Here is an op to value add rather then send our pulp overseas, where it would be turned into papper anyway, but alot less cleaner then the Gunns Mill is going to.

As for DEMOS grow up.
Posted by Kenny, Wednesday, 12 December 2007 8:28:23 AM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
  1. Pages:
  2. Page 1
  3. 2
  4. All

About Us :: Search :: Discuss :: Feedback :: Legals :: Privacy