This dam Pulpmill!!!!!!

I received this email today, it makes me so angry that the messages that are been delivered to us can be this conveluded. please follow the links and have your say.

It's crunch time for the Gunns pulp mill, desperate to find investors. In no small part due to your efforts, Gunns have to go to great lengths to secure finance. That's why they've enlisted some high-level help to spread their misinformation:
"Construction of the mill and flow-on investment would create some 8,000 direct and indirect jobs spread across the trades and other areas. Another 1,500 jobs would be created during operation." - Ministerial Statement by The Hon Tony Burke MP, 20091
"Construction of the Pulp Mill and flow-on investment will create some 8000 direct and indirect jobs spread across the trades and other areas. A further 1500 to 1600 additional direct and indirect jobs will be created during the Pulp Mill’s operation." - Gunns statement, 20082
It's strange enough for a publicly-elected official to do PR on behalf of a private company, but it's plain inappropriate to lift it word-for-word from company propaganda - especially when the claims themselves are bogus.

The Minister's statement was intended to be heard by potential investors around the world as a sign of government support for the environmentally and economically damaging project, at a time when that support is hugely influential for investors making a decision.

Can you tell Tony Burke to make a statement on our behalf, not Gunns'? Click here to ask him to set the record straight:

www.getup.org.au/campaign/SetTheRecordStraight

Tony Burke's not just the Forestry Minister, he's also the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries - industries where the pulp mill is predicted to cause over 1200 job losses. The source he quotes of 8000 jobs is five years old, and has since been massively discredited. Gunns themselves are now only claiming 292 direct jobs will be created.

His other claims also don't hold up to scrutiny. That's why it's so important he sends the right signal, right now, to potential investors overseas.

Together we've campaigned to ensure the vast majority of firms in Australia and overseas won't go anywhere near Gunns' pulp mill project. With only a small number of potential investors left, we need to ensure Gunns are not able to use Tony Burke's statement as a source of security for their investment.

Ask Tony Burke to set the record straight, before potential financiers make their final decision:

www.getup.org.au/campaign/SetTheRecordStraight

We can't fall at the last hurdle - we need to let the government know the pulp mill, and it's propaganda, is unacceptable.

That's why the most important thing we can do right now is make the government speak on our behalf not Gunns', and set the record straight on the pulp mill.

Thanks for being a part of the solution,
The GetUp team

PS - Gunns are desperate to convince the few remaining potential investors their unviable pulp mill project will go ahead - just this week they've announced land-clearing work will soon begin on a pipeline to feed the mill, in an attempt to shore up finance. We need the Government to distance themselves from this project now, as investors look for clues as to what level of support the pulp mill can expect in Australia.


Other statements lifted from Gunns propaganda:

"The mill will add an estimated $6.7 billion to Tasmania’s economy." - The Hon Tony Burke MP
"The project will add around $6.7 billion, or 2.5 per cent to the Tasmanian economy." - Gunns
(The National Institute of Economic and Industry Research actually found the most likely impact on the Tasmanian economy over 20 years would be negative $0.3 billion)

"At up to $2 billion in capital expenditure, the mill would be the largest ever private sector investment in Tasmania, and the largest ever by Australia’s forest industry." - The Hon Tony Burke MP
"At around $1.5 billion in capital expenditure, the proposed mill will be the largest ever investment by the private sector in Tasmania, and the largest ever by the forestry sector in Australia." - Gunns

Sources:
1 The Hon Tony Burke, MP “Ministerial Statement by the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry: Preparing our forest industries for the future”, 24 June 2009
http://www.maff.gov.au/transcripts/transcripts/2009/june/preparing_our_forest_industries_for_the_future
2 Gunns Ltd. “Bell Bay Pulp MIll: Environmental, Economic and Social update” September 2008
http://www.gunnspulpmill.com.au/factsheets/Facts_Update_Sep.pdf