POLICE are yet to lay a single charge under the state’s anti-protest laws, more than six months after the controversial legislation came into effect. The government introduced the laws, which were an election commitment, in an effort to stop protesters from disrupting workplaces. Mandatory prison sentences were stripped from the legislation in the Legislative Council, but the laws still carry heavy fines and jail terms for indictable offences. Lawyers, unions, civil libertarians and even the United Nations have been critical of the anti-protest laws, with claims that they restricted free speech and freedom of assembly. Police on Wednesday confirmed that no one has been charged since the laws took effect on December 24. Resources Minister Paul Harriss said the lack of charges showed the legislation was working. ‘‘No one has been charged because there have been no workplace invasions,’’ he said. ‘‘The laws have worked to deter, just as we intended. This vindicates our policy.’’ The Bob Brown Foundation campaign manager Jenny Weber said there simply had not been many protests in the months since. ‘‘The groups who these laws were targeted at, such as the Huon Valley Environment Centre and Still Wild Still Threatened, don’t operate any more,’’ she said. ‘‘Regardless of the laws, those groups have closed.’’ Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Michael Bailey said he was glad the laws had not been needed. ‘‘There was a period, we had people chaining themselves to machinery in sawmills and even locking themselves to furniture in furniture stores,’’ he said. ‘‘If the legislation is never needed, then that’s got to be a good thing.’’ But a Labor spokesman said the government had been embarrassed over the laws. ‘‘The Liberals promised their protest laws would be the key to growing the forestry and mining industries,’’ he said. ‘‘Parliament wasted a lot of time and money dealing with laws that weren’t needed and haven’t been used once.’’ Tasmanian Law Society president Matthew Verney said it appeared that the laws merely duplicated the existing offences of trespass and assault. ‘‘I still think the laws are just unnecessary,’’ he said.
POLICE are yet to lay a single charge under the state’s anti-protest laws, more than six months after the controversial legislation came into effect.
The government introduced the laws, which were an election commitment, in an effort to stop protesters from disrupting workplaces.
Mandatory prison sentences were stripped from the legislation in the Legislative Council, but the laws still carry heavy fines and jail terms for indictable offences.
Lawyers, unions, civil libertarians and even the United Nations have been critical of the anti-protest laws, with claims that they restricted free speech and freedom of assembly.
Police on Wednesday confirmed that no one has been charged since the laws took effect on December 24.
Resources Minister Paul Harriss said the lack of charges showed the legislation was working.
‘‘No one has been charged because there have been no workplace invasions,’’ he said.
‘‘The laws have worked to deter, just as we intended. This vindicates our policy.’’
The Bob Brown Foundation campaign manager Jenny Weber said there simply had not been many protests in the months since.
‘‘The groups who these laws were targeted at, such as the Huon Valley Environment Centre and Still Wild Still Threatened, don’t operate any more,’’ she said.
‘‘Regardless of the laws, those groups have closed.’’
Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Michael Bailey said he was glad the laws had not been needed.
‘‘There was a period, we had people chaining themselves to machinery in sawmills and even locking themselves to furniture in furniture stores,’’ he said.
‘‘If the legislation is never needed, then that’s got to be a good thing.’’
But a Labor spokesman said the government had been embarrassed over the laws.
‘‘The Liberals promised their protest laws would be the key to growing the forestry and mining industries,’’ he said.
‘‘Parliament wasted a lot of time and money dealing with laws that weren’t needed and haven’t been used once.’’
Tasmanian Law Society president Matthew Verney said it appeared that the laws merely duplicated the existing offences of trespass and assault.
‘‘I still think the laws are just unnecessary,’’ he said.
