Debate started on the government's third attempt to clamp down on environmental protest activity through new legislation in the House of Assembly on Thursday night
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The Liberals have taken a policy on workplace protections, aimed at activists, to the past three elections.
Its 2014 legislation was deemed to be unconstitutional by the High Court after a challenge led by former Australian Greens leader Bob Brown.
Subsequent legislation passed through the lower house, but failed to get approval in the Legislative Council last year.
The new bill seeks to repeal the 2014 legislation and make amendments to the Police Offences Act to gain the same objectives.
It amends two existing offences under the act in relation to public annoyance and trespass.
Public annoyance is to take account of actions that created a public disturbance, disorderly conduct, and obstructions to passage of vehicles or pedestrians on a public road or street.
Under amendments, the maximum penalty for a public annoyance offence will more than triple to $1730.
Amendments to the trespass offence prevent a protester from attaching themselves to land, a building, vehicle or structure, among other things.
Conservationists are nurses, they're doctors, they're volunteer fire fighters, they're teachers, they're business owners.
- Greens leader Cassy O'Connor
Resources Minister Guy Barnett said the government wanted to deter people from unlawful conduct that impacted Tasmanian businesses and workers.
"This bill gives effect to the fundamental purpose recognised as valid by the High Court," he said.
"It creates no new offences or police powers, but clarifies the law of trespass and public order offences, making them more readily understood and enforced."
During debate, Labor's Michelle O'Byrne said a clause in the bill would impact on a person's right to protest, that is the unreasonable obstruction of the passage of vehicles or pedestrians on a street.
She said this exposed workers to penalties for industrial action.
Greens leader Cassy O'Connor said that workers should not be carved out of the legislation just because they were unionised.
"Conservationists are nurses, they're doctors, they're volunteer fire fighters, they're teachers, they're business owners," she said.
"This is not a worker protection bill, it's a corporate protection racket because the only time the legislation mentions the word workplace as far as we can see in any meaningful way is in the title."
Ms O'Connor attempted to move a motion for the bill to be referred to a select parliamentary committee for examination, though this was abruptly halted when the government called an adjournment.
Debate will resume on May 24 when the House of Assembly next sits.
Political reporter for Australian Community Media, based in Hobart.
Political reporter for Australian Community Media, based in Hobart.
