Minister lets the cat out of the bag on Rushy Lagoon witch-hunt

Gavin Pearce has let the cat out of the bag on the Liberals’ Rushy Lagoon witch-hunt.

In Parliament, the Minister failed to deny that he privately told Gresham House he supported its proposal for Rushy Lagoon, believed landowners should be able to use their property as they saw fit, and even gave them his personal phone number so he could help troubleshoot any problems.

Then, once the sale was settled, he turned around and publicly attacked the very investment he had privately encouraged.

That hypocrisy would be laughable if the consequences for Tasmania were not so serious.

After 13 years of the Liberals, Tasmania is losing jobs and desperately needs new investment. Institutional investors need to know they can deal with the State Government in good faith - not be encouraged behind closed doors and attacked in public when it becomes politically convenient.

Rushy Lagoon has a bright future. Work is already underway to improve the property, with plans for less than half of the land to be planted with pine for sawlog production, creating jobs while allowing cattle production and irrigated cropping to continue.

I want to see more investment, more jobs and more productive activity in regional Tasmania.

Unfortunately, Gavin Pearce and the Liberals seem more interested in a political witch-hunt than giving institutional investors the confidence to back Tasmania.