FEDERAL Opposition Leader Tony Abbott waded into the controversial issues of the Tamar River and Gunns' pulp mill at a community forum attended by more 200 people at Launceston College last night.
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Although the room was full of smiles for Mr Abbott at the beginning of the forum, they soon turned serious as concerned residents flooded the Opposition Leader with questions.
Launceston resident Ken Gourlay said that the Tamar River was sick and making people unwell due to ageing sewage pipes leaking waste into the river.
"I had gastro and a student of mine got giardia (infection) from sailing in the river, after that happened the council put signs up around the river for people not to swim in it," Mr Gourlay said.
Mr Abbott said all levels of government should be ashamed of themselves for the state of the river.
"The idea that all the relevant authorities are doing is putting signs up to say that it is unsafe to go in the water instead of making the water fit to go into is just outrageous, I can understand why people are feeling badly, badly let down," Mr Abbott said.
Mr Abbott also spoke of the proposed Bell Bay pulp mill and said the sooner it went ahead the better.
"I think it is a serious failure of policy that we are still talking about this pulp mill, not just for the last seven years but for the last quarter of a century and nothing has been done," he said.
"It is a business proposition that stacks up and we should not stand in the way of it ... I think the sooner it can go ahead the better."
The forum was hosted by Liberal Senator Guy Barnett.
Earlier yesterday, Mr Abbott conceded that the Coalition went too far in criticising the government for paying for Christmas Island shipwreck survivors to attend family funerals.
Coalition immigration spokesman Scott Morrison was blasted for saying it was unreasonable to expect taxpayers to foot the bill for flying 22 family members from Christmas Island to Sydney for Tuesday's funerals.
Mr Morrison yesterday admitted the timing of his comments was "insensitive" but did not back down from their substance.
Mr Abbott - who earlier said he believed the government's decision was "unusual" - said Mr Morrison's contrition showed guts.
"I want to thank Scott for being man enough to accept that perhaps we did go a little bit too far yesterday," he said.
