What the Tasmanian Liberals will do:

Recognise the right of forest workers to lawfully earn a living and ensuring safety in their workplace.

The Tasmanian Liberals have a strong policy that Tasmanian workers should be protected from people disrupting their workplace – wherever it is.

After several years of the Tasmanian Liberals repeatedly trying to get the State Labor Government to update the law relating to cases where people deliberately disrupt a workplace by maliciously damaging equipment or placing themselves and the workers in danger, the Tasmanian Liberals decided to introduce its own Bill into Parliament.

A topical example of this problem is the current protests in the Southern Forests, where the Director of Workplace Safety has said he is very concerned that someone will get hurt – either someone protesting or forest workers.

The Liberal Bill does not outlaw legitimate protest, but it does provide for offences if a person intentionally creates a fear or hazard in a workplace, disrupts a workplace without lawful excuse, or damages vehicles or other equipment and tools in a workplace.

We believe this is a fair response – everyone has the right to earn their living; expressing your right to protest does not mean someone has to interfere in another person going about his or her daily work.