Tas govt touches up anti-protest laws
An overhaul of Tasmania's controversial proposed anti-protest laws has not appeased opponents.
While the Liberal state administration moved on Wednesday to wind back some of the powers it hopes will shield the forestry and mining industries from radical protesters, civil libertarian groups continued a call for the legislation to be axed completely.
In its initial guise the planned law hit protesters who disrupt businesses with a $2000 on-the-spot-fine and, for a second offence, a minimum mandatory three-month jail sentence.
The Law Society and Civil Liberties Australia were joined by unions, environmentalists, Labor and the Tasmanian Greens in opposing the bill, which the government had the numbers to push through the lower house in June.
The Law Society argued that under the proposed bill, if a shopper raised a consumer issue and refused to leave a store, they faced an automatic $2000 fine.
In an attempt to help the legislation pass parliament, the government on Wednesday softened elements including that the laws will not apply in places such as shops, markets, professional offices and public places.
Premier Will Hodgman said the government stands by its election commitment to protect people trying to go about earning a living.
But he added that people have a right to protest and the amended legislation reflects that right.
"This is about principally ensuring that people who work ... in the forest industry or the mining sector who have previously had their workplaces invaded and shut down, are protected into the future," Mr Hodgman told reporters.
The changes were not welcomed by Labor with opposition leader Bryan Green saying the backdown shows the government tried to rush through the laws, adding that they still aren't right.
"Serious concerns remain about the inclusion of mandatory minimum jail terms," he said.
Tasmanian Greens spokesman Nick McKim said the legislation remains "fundamentally flawed" and the only answer is to scrap the bill because it cannot be fixed.
The government has merely tinkered at the edges and failed to address key concerns surrounding the proposed laws, a Civil Liberties Australia spokesman said.
