The Tasmanian Minerals and Energy Council has wholeheartedly endorsed the State Government’s move to tighten the defamation act, claiming the move will, “restore the right for Tasmanian businesses to challenge misleading campaigns against them.”
CEO of the Tasmanian Minerals and Energy Council, Wayne Bould, said the new law would provide certainty for Tasmanian companies and their workforces and supports employers against
those who would spread mistruths about them and their business activities.
“For far too long certain individuals and certain extreme environmental groups have been deliberately communicating inaccurate and damaging information at every opportunity about our State’s mining industry and they have not been held accountable,” Mr Bould said.
“That is one of the main reasons that we support these laws.
“I would like to be clear that we support freedom of speech, but that speech needs to be fact rather than scurrilous and unfounded supposition. We also support the belief, however, that people do not have the right to publically state misleading information to further their idealogical beliefs and at the expense of truth and justice.
“We note the Government has made it clear this is about protecting workplaces and the people who work in them, and we welcome protection for the mining sector, which is currently and clearly a cornerstone of the state’s economy – employing thousands of Tasmanians.
“We look forward to the consultation period and working with the Government on this policy.”
Add Comment