Gilly Flower

Between the dramatic slide in Gunns' share price, the lively Public Forum on Climate Change and forestry practices, the GetUp Climate Change torch, State Parliament sitting in Launceston, and Saturday's rally against the pulp mill, last week was pretty lively. As was anticipated.

Tent city has caused a stir outside the Albert Hall, with school groups stopping by after spending their allotted hour listening to our elected reps trade insults across the floor. Such rudeness clearly came as quite a shock to some, if comments in the local rag are anything to go by.

There's been a definite feeling of suspense in the air since Thursday, when Gunns shares ceased trading. Now we're waiting to see what the next move might be. Rumours abound, but while mill proponents continue to talk up the project, it's difficult to see why given the financial situation globally.

For Saturday's rally we struck gold so far as weather was concerned. It was a day that typifies Tasmania at this time of year, with winter on the wane, yet with spring not quite ready to fully nudge its way through. There was a frosty start true enough, but brilliant blue sky, sunshine and - eventually - warmth, followed. With all the pre-rally preparations, briefings, setting up of equipment, PA systems, banners and placards etc, there was little time to notice the cold.

The crowds drifted in slowly, and I wasn't the only one concerned that this rally wasn't going to attract the massive crowd we hoped for. On stage with core members of Voices of the Tamar, (and a couple of rap musos), in order to add my voice to their renditions of a dissident repertoire of songs set to well-known tunes such as: 'John Brown's body'; 'Let's call the whole thing off' and 'Who wants to be a millionaire', (among others) numbers were looking decidedly thin.

I needn't have worried though. By the time we'd finished our half-hour stint, people were everywhere, pouring in through every park entrance and adding their voices to the chorus.

Reported total numbers vary widely, with estimates of 5000, 7000 or 10000 depending on which newspaper you read. Some of the footage can be viewed here:
http://northerntasmania.yourguide.com.au/slideshowplayer.aspx?id=3079

After singing myself hoarse, I then toted a collection bucket through the crowd encouraging donations, and handing out a variety of leaflets about different aspects of the campaign, so failed to catch all the inspiring words from every speaker. I did stop to listen to Dr Warwick Raverty's speech though, and Peter Cundall's.

After the speeches, we marched through the streets to Civic Square for the symbolic nailing to the door of our collective demand to restore some semblance of democracy in this state. Including repealing the iniquitous Section 11 of the Pulp Mill Asessment Act 2007.

Then it was a case of thank goodness for mobile phones, since without them it would have been near impossible to find D, who'd flown over from Melbourne to be part of this rally, and who was somewhere in the crowd. It was a last minute decision on her part, but one she was glad she'd made. A born and bred Tassie girl she's lived on the mainland for years, but like so many ex-pats her feelings for this island are intense and passionate, and like so many she despairs of the destruction that is being waged here.

Ex-flatmates from our days of living in the West, we've remained close friends ever since, despite infrequent get-togethers. But we managed to pack a lot of conversation into an hour, over coffee and cake, before she had to get to the airport for the flight back.

The day was brilliant but exhausting - and I'm still exhausted, both physically and emotionally - but the following says it all really, and Steve says it so eloquently. Far better than I feel capable of right now. So it's with his permission that I include the words he wrote after the rally, and which have since circulated around the state, and beyond.

Heartfelt thanks from Steve Biddulph

I was so proud of us today.


The rally was a wonderful demonstration of many things...


First, the staying power and strength of the movement against the pulp mill.


Second, the depth of intelligence informing our struggle. Moral intelligence from Terry Martin, a humble man with a backbone of steel because he knows right from wrong. Scientific intelligence and sheer courage from Warwick Raverty. Emotional intelligence and earthy
truths from Peter Cundall, our spiritual elder. Raw grief from the young girls, the generation that sees its world destroyed. Withering rage from the Koori community. The tireless and heartening capability of the volunteers of TAP, who were everywhere, organized, focussed, active, upbeat.


Thirdly, our widening and awakened anger at the astonishing criminality of the Lennon government, and a breathless waiting to see if Bartlett dares to cut to the heart of the rot in his own party.


There was no shyness or ambivalence as we flowed into the streets of Launceston; the dignity and the sheer mass of the marchers, claimed the city, outnumbering twenty fold the bemused watchers in the emptied out streets.


If I had been an elected representative, a Michelle O' whatshername or an Ivan Dean, I would have shuddered in my shoes. There has been no comparable unification of Tasmanians from so many demographics, but especially of middle Tasmania - grandparents, parents, professionals and working people, elderly and young, rural and urban, utterly respectable and thoughtful quiet citizens seething with anger and yet
a kind of joy to be making a stand. These days we represent ourselves.


Its been possible in Launceston's past, to rally a few thousand people at the peak of some one-off community outrage, but to bring onto the streets, over and over again, 10,000 people, means this energy and resolve is increasing, not likely to diminish until it finds
satisfaction. There is a real sense that we are fighting for our state now, and that this is our chance to make a better life for ourselves and our children. There is a new
hope and spirit abroad. People were never completely proud to be Tasmanian, it was always an ambivalent thing, and that is about to change. We will have something to be proud of.


Perhaps every state needs to go through a cleansing process, the Fitzgerald Enquiry that changed Queensland forever, and the WA Inc. Royal Commission which proved that Labor can be as crooked as the Right. Both of those states are different places now. Its time
for Tasmania to throw off the stain of corruption that goes back to colonial days. Robber barons and sleazebags don't belong in the modern world. But it took an activated citizenry to waken up and make a stand.


When the Mill is dead, we should look to make a memorial place on the site at Longreach. Where tourists can watch footage and hear accounts of speeches, and admire what Tasmanians have done. To see that with the Franklin, this was the start of making an island of hope in
a world on its knees. People from all over the world will want to come here, not just to visit, but to live, to help us safeguard the air, the water, the soil, the trees, the ocean and rivers
to redeem a vibrant place that might one day help feed and heal the larger world.