DEBATE was cut short in Parliament last night over an amendment to Tasmania's pulp mill legislation designed to cover land use permits, which ran out two months ago.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Greens leader Nick McKim reacted angrily to Planning Minister David Llewellyn's move to declare the amendment an "urgent bill" after three hours - gagging any further debate.
Mr Llewellyn claimed that Mr McKim had goaded him into the declaration when he overheard the Greens leader bragging that he would keep the Government in the house until six the next morning if necessary to properly debate the amendment.
There were scenes reminiscent of two years ago when the pulp mill bill itself was rushed through late at night by then premier Paul Lennon.
Government and Liberal Party MPs again used their numbers to force through the amendment.
"You've done it again - you have guillotined debate, you are collaborating to get this through, you are riding roughshod over democracy in this state," Mr McKim shouted across the chamber at Mr Llewellyn.
The Government and Liberals also rejected four amendments that the Greens tried to push through to give more information to the bill.
Earlier Mr Llewellyn told the house that the amendment was necessary to clarify uncertainty over whether lapsed permits for Gunns Ltd to go ahead with work at the proposed Bell Bay pulp mill site were necessary.
Mr Llewellyn said that despite the land use permits running out, it had been presumed that the Pulp Mill Assessment Bill would override the permits.
But Mr Llewellyn said that Environment Protection Authority director Warren Jones had become concerned that because the bill did not include a date for work to start or end, uncertainty had arisen about the permits.
Mr Jones sought advice from Solicitor-General Leigh Sealy and then advised Mr Llewellyn's department secretary Kim Evans.
Mr Llewellyn said that the advice was that the matter could be clarified either by amending the bill or by arguing it in court.
Mr Llewellyn would not divulge the details of the Solicitor- General's advice.
He also refused give an opinion on whether Gunns was acting illegally if it had people working at the Bell Bay site after the original land use permits lapsed at the end of August.
