McGunns Lawsuit by Gunns Limited

FEEDBACK FORM COMMENTS

Michelle - December 18, 2004
It does concern me,the apathy or perhaps it is ignorance to the issues here in Tasmania, regarding the rest of Australia. Most of the time it feels to me that we are not a part of Australia at all. Do they really give a darn ? After all the majority of the share holders don't live here, so does it really matter if the water is contaminated, they don't have to drink it.

Julia Weston - December 20, 2004
We are fighting to protect our magnificent South Sister - due to be logged early 2005. We stand to lose our water, our tourist icon and several protected species. The State stands to gain approximately $155,00 in royalties - Gunns stand to gain well over a million dollars. No wonder we need to be silenced!!

Bob Lake - December 30, 2004
I am not an active "Greenie" and I recognise the value of sustainable forestry and the rights of both corporations and individuals to make their livings within this field. But I do not acknowledge their right to strip our country of its ancient forests in order to turn a quick dollar.

Corporations which show profits from the cheap or free availability and exploitation of non-renewable natural resources - which really belong to us all - are simply using community capital for their own financial benefit.

Logging old growth forests, or fishing the oceans to the extent of commercial species' extinction, should be stopped or brought back down to sustainable levels, now. Otherwise, the result will be worse in the longer term - that is irretrievable species loss or extinction and biodiversity loss. Then the fishermen, loggers, and the companies which employ them will be out of business permanently, and the world a poorer place.

So why not make the adjustment, and stop now?

It is misleading to attempt to justify activities such as logging, woodchipping and commercial fishing on the grounds that to control or stop it would create unemployment. It would be as insane to suggest that we do not control drunk or speeding drivers because it would disadvantage panel beaters and undertakers.

To me it seems the lawsuit by Gunns Ltd is an attempt to intimidate opponents and to silence opposition. It is undemocratic and most certainly counter-productive. This is my first active support for Bob Brown and the Green movement in its fight to maintain old growth forests. Gunns' lawsuit has made me thoughtful, and I know it has alienated many other Australians. In these strange times, we fear the unthinkable might happen ... the unthinkable being a legal victory for Gunns.

We have to recognise that this could herald the end of freedom of speech and democratic action in Australia.

Today it is Tasmania's forests and those who fight for them; tomorrow it may be any opinion you or I express, or any action we might take to protect our neighborhoods, our families or our futures.

Big brother could be watching you, with the threat that you might lose your home, your livelihood, your way of life.

And for those who really don't give a damn one way or another about hugging trees, Gunns Ltd, or Bob Brown, remember the comment attributed to Voltaire:

"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."

We have made great sacrifices to maintain freedom of speech and the right to protest, and Australian society has always been founded on a 'fair go'.

We should not let it slip away.

Peter F Bradshaw - 25 January 2005
In my view the purpose of this action is to suppress legitimate community debate and action. Nearly all the US states have legislation against this sort of law suit. And Australian states should as well. Companies should not have the power to intimidate citizens.

Geoff Selby - 17 July 2005
I am currently trying to find out if my super fund, Perpetual Investment Management Ltd, have any shares in Gunns. They are being very noncommital. Do you have any info re Perpetual having investments in Gunns. If they have I will change my super fund Keep up the good work Fantastic web site.

Dave C - 18 August 2005
Gunns will lose in the long term. Corporate & Social Responsibility is becoming more and more essential to economic success. Gunns is digging their own grave.

Shum Ghumman - 3 December 2005
I had an idea recently, I'm not aware if you have tried this, or if the law has changed since my university days of the late 90's. I believe that the Australian Corporations Law empowers any group of a minimum number of shareholders (from memory the number was 50) of a public company to call an EGM (extraordinary general meeting) by making an official request to the company in writing (the public company then has a fixed number of days in which to arrange the EGM at its own expense). So here's my idea: If someone could verify that this is in fact correct, and we could get 50 people to buy a small number of shares in Gunns, then we could FORCE Gunns to hold regular EGMs each requesting a review of ONE of its questionable policies. Realistically, this is unlikely to change anything, however, the cost to Gunns of holding these EGMs would run into the thousands, and it would tie up a large amount managements' time. The minimum share order on Commsec (for any security) is $500, which means that if 50 people bought $500 worth of Gunns shares each, for a total investment of $25,000, we could effectively cost Gunns many times that figure (and then at the end of the day when the battle is won, those parcels of shares can be sold - quite possibly at a tidy profit). It is noteworthy that the sharemarket lowlife, David Tweed is employing a similar tactic against Clime Capital. If you can find another 49 people, then I would be happy to take part in such a scheme.

David Browning - 15 April 2006
Gunns are an evil company that is destroying the beauty of my beloved home state. They must be stopped at all costs. I am sorry your site has been hacked and don't understand why it is so difficult to get it up and running again. I feel so angry about this Gunns (an appropriate name for an evil company actually). They have aimed their gun's on the innocent forest and its creatures for long enough. I am with you all the way.

Rob Clark - 19 April 2006
Visited the Styx and Weld valleys recently and am utterly shocked at the devastation. Friends took me up to Tim Shea peak where I could look out towards Lake Pedder and Lake Gordon. Magnificent view and I revelled in it until I was told that the entire valley (bordered by world heritage areas) is to be clearfelled.

I struggled to understand the rational behind this criminal vandalism until I was told that this simply a desperate grab for land before people power reaches boiling point and halts their progress.

There is no time to stop and process the specialist timbers like Blackwood, Sassafras, Myrtle etc. Gunns are just going hard to clear as much land as possible for replanting to plantation. Woodchips simply cover the cost, the real money it seems to me will be made when they are clearing plantation timbers only, all in a row, all the same species and size.

Old growth forest is just in the way!! - the louder we can scream now the sooner this will stop.