Logging Lobbyist Joins Politicians Pulp Mills Tour

Tasmanian logging (Photo: The Wilderness Society)A lobbyist for the Australian forestry company Gunns will travel with a delegation of Tasmanian politicians visiting pulp mills in Brazil, Chile and Finland. Gunns is seeking to overcome strong community opposition to its proposed $A1.7 billion pulp mill and win legislative support from the members of Tasmania's upper house. Tony Fletcher, a lobbyist for Gunns and a former member of the upper house, will accompany the delegation of seven politicians on their two-week long trip. One of the members of the delegation, Paul Harriss, told Mercury reporter Sue Neales that he "made contact with Tony Fletcher and asked him if Gunns could do the groundwork and provide entry to the pulp mills for us ... When our preliminary inquiries at the three (pulp mills) we had chosen uncovered that you couldn't just rock up and have a look around, we asked Gunns to help."