Premier Lara Giddings has described today as an historic day after a forestry peace deal was agreed to by industry, union and environment groups this morning.
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The State Opposition attacked the deal during question time and highlighted division within the Forest Industries Association of Tasmania and criticism from the Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association.
Ms Giddings said she would ``not hear a bad word against Terry Edwards (FIAT chief executive officer)''.
She also read out a letter from Timber Communities Australia, the only signatory to the intergovernmental agreement yet to formally sign off on the deal.
In the letter, TCA chief executive Jim Adams promised to strongly recommend his members support the deal at two consultation meetings scheduled early next month.
Ms Giddings said the agreement was the right thing to do for families and the Liberal's alternative would result in a far worse situation for the forestry industry.
Legislation to enact the agreement to protect half a million hectares of forests in two stages will be debated in the House of Assembly later today.
Mr Edwards, the Wilderness Society's Vica Bayley and Environment Tasmania's Phill Pullinger will hold a joint media conference at 1pm.
