pedro san pedro
4th February 2005, 03:50
At the end of last year Gunns Ltd, the largest woodchipping company in the southern hemisphere, filed a 200 page writ in the Melbourne court, seeking damages totalling $6.3 million AUD from 20 individual activists and organisations - including a number of Green Party Senators. Damages were sought for a number of activites over the past four years, ranging from lost income due to blockades of logging operations and ports to international defamtion - leading to lost customers and investors. The activists actions were motivated by the fact that Gunns Ltd continues to cut down ancient forests within Tasmania - something which a majority of Australians disagrees with.
Should the case be ruled in Gunns favour, it will set a dangerous precident for any activist in Australia. Employers could potentially claim that a picket line was costing money and sue unions and activists for example.
Gunns tactics, which have also been used by other logging based companies across Australia in the past also form part of a disturbing trend. Companies with huge resources suing individuals or NGO's are not always seeking compensation - the actions also tie down the activist's typically limited resources and time. That the Gunns writ was served at the beginning of logging season comes as little surprise.
Learn more at Tassie Greens (http://tas.greens.org.au/publications/greenweek/GUNNS_20_SPECIAL_EDITION.pdf) or at The wilderness society (http://www.wilderness.org.au/campaigns/forests/gunns_sues_TWS/)
View the writ in full at: This site (http://bobbrown.org.au/files/campaigns/extras/Gunns_writ20041213_9575.pdf)
Should the case be ruled in Gunns favour, it will set a dangerous precident for any activist in Australia. Employers could potentially claim that a picket line was costing money and sue unions and activists for example.
Gunns tactics, which have also been used by other logging based companies across Australia in the past also form part of a disturbing trend. Companies with huge resources suing individuals or NGO's are not always seeking compensation - the actions also tie down the activist's typically limited resources and time. That the Gunns writ was served at the beginning of logging season comes as little surprise.
Learn more at Tassie Greens (http://tas.greens.org.au/publications/greenweek/GUNNS_20_SPECIAL_EDITION.pdf) or at The wilderness society (http://www.wilderness.org.au/campaigns/forests/gunns_sues_TWS/)
View the writ in full at: This site (http://bobbrown.org.au/files/campaigns/extras/Gunns_writ20041213_9575.pdf)