Farmers back State Government's anti-protest laws

The peak representative body for the state’s farmers says it will support measures against “extreme” protesters engaging in “a form of thuggery”.

THE Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association will work to ensure new laws clamping down on “illegal” protesters are passed by both houses of Government.

The State Government will bring its Workplaces Protection Bill to parliament next week.

A previous attempt at the legislation was ruled invalid by the High Court as it was overly broad, vague, confusing and exhibiting “Pythonesque absurdity”.

Under the new proposed laws, activists who invade farms or industry operations and businesses would face up to 21 years in jail.

Breaches would attract fines of $10,000 and jail terms of up to 18 months for a first offence, four years for a second and up to 21 years in the most serious cases.

GROUPS UNITE TO PAN NEW ANTI-PROTEST LAWS

TFGA president Marcus McShane declared the organisation’s support for the bill in a column in Tasmanian Country today.

He said the laws would hold to account anyone who impeded the right of businesses and individuals to conduct lawful business activities.

“For many of us the farm is not only our place of business, it is our home as well,” he said. “It is important to us our family and business are protected from invasion and disruption.

“We are seeing in recent times that protesters for whatever cause are becoming more and more extreme in their actions.

“Protesting should be about convincing others as to your argument. If you must resort to illegal or underhanded activity then you have already lost the argument.”

Mr McShane said he had no issue with protests, but protests that resulted in a loss to others or a business were “a form of thuggery”.

Labor MPs Jen Butler, left, and Ella Haddad with Westbury Prison protesters. Picture: SUPPLIED

The State Government today called Labor members “circus clowns” and accused them of feeding Westbury residents “porky-pies” about the Bill.

Labor corrections spokeswoman Ella Haddas and Lyons MP Jen Butler met with anti-prison protesters at the northern village where they discussed the Workplaces Protection Bill.

They said the Bill goes further than protecting businesses from trespassers and would prevent community members from speaking out.

“These laws are symptomatic of a Government desperate to silence the opinions of people of Tasmania,” Ms Butler said.

“They are not just to target people protesting in forests … they are targeting every single Tasmanian.”

Ms Butler said Westbury residents would lose their right to speak out under the laws.

Ms Haddad said the Bill represented an attack on people’s “democratic right to protest and to have their say”.

Primary Industries Minister Guy Barnett said Labor had failed to do its research and called yesterday’s conference “embarrassing”, “misguided” and “utter tripe”.

“To be very clear, the Workplaces Protection Bill does not stop anyone speaking out or raising community concerns,” he said.

“The Bill seeks to implement the fundamental principle that, while people are free to protest, our laws should protect lawful business activities and their workers.

“If passed, it would apply only to actions which affect or are intended to affect the lawful rights of others.”

Mr Barnett said an example of where the law would apply was “a protester who intentionally trespasses on a farm and intentionally impedes work”.