So here we go again.
A spot of déjà vu after agreeing to be on the ticket supporting Tasmanian Greens lead candidate for the Bass electorate, Jack Davenport. A surprise phone call from our wonderful surfing senator Peter Whish-Wilson, when in Perth visiting friends and family recently, and the power of persuasion is the only reason I agreed – but only on the condition I was number five on the ticket. That’s a distant last for those unfamiliar with Tasmania’s Hare Clark system, with zero chance of being elected. Really, I’m just there so all those who want to vote Green all the way down the ticket can do so. In 2014 I had some small advantage of name recognition due to the pulp mill campaign. That’s not the case this time around so if I achieve a dozen votes I reckon I’ll be doing well! However, every vote counts.
I suspect this short sharp campaign will be a little different to the last time I put up my hand, back in 2014 when we still had the wonderful Kim Booth representing the Greens in Bass. Supporting a sitting MP is a vastly different prospect to getting our lead candidate over the line and into parliament so Bass has a Greens MP once again. Kim’s re-election was always a nail-biting time and this election is unlikely to be any different.
What a fantastic Greens team we have though, and really hoping Tasmanians will see through the undeniably cynical tactics of premier Peter Gutwein to go 12 months early, arguably hoping that by riding on the back of Covid, he can replicate the recent WA result that saw a landslide Labor victory. Too much of a landslide really as there’s now a completely ineffective Opposition which isn’t healthy for democracy at all. I hope that won’t be the case here.
Despite the carefully constructed spin Mr Gutwein has done very little, really, in respect of ‘keeping us all safe through Covid’ other than follow the advice of the state’s public health officer. Just as all the premiers have done. He and his government have done next to nothing to address the housing, homelessness, hospitals and health issues – all of which are a disgrace. The economy here, and throughout the country, is likely to tumble like a pack of cards when the loss of JobKeeper starts to kick in, bringing into question the economic credentials the Liberals like to pride themselves on, but which in fact have no basis in reality. Meanwhile the trashing of our environment, our forests, our rivers, lakes and oceans continues.
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Attracting the interest of a publisher for this story of a community’s campaign to stop what would have been ‘the world’s fourth largest pulp mill’ being built was never going to be easy, but hoping the first of two 3-minute Literary Speed Dating pitch sessions will prompt at least one of the two publishers to request the full MSS. And preferably both of them. These twice-yearly Perfect Pitch sessions are offered to members of the Australian Society of Authors, and this is the first time I’ve taken advantage of them – mainly because of the need to have a completed MSS before doing so. Three minutes isn’t long to excite the interest of a publisher who is after stories in very specific genres, and who therefore needs to believe your MSS is worth investing the time needed to read it in full. I’m pretty certain I’ve excited the necessary interest, but given Jane will hear the pitches of many more optimistic and talented writers after my morning session today, there are no guarantees. That initial interest might well wane as the day goes on if other writers have written stories that sound far more intriguing – and marketable. One can never forget that aspect of publishing these days: will the book sell. I believe my story will – certainly in Tasmania it definitely will – but a wider Australian readership? That’s an unknown even if my mentor is convinced of the story’s universal appeal. I’d certainly like to think I’ve caught the zeitgeist wave given the current widespread community unrest over AI data centres, that’s already prompting similar serious opposition, and for many of the same reasons the Tamar Valley’s community opposed the pulp mill. Environmental degradation, threats to public health, water usage – and water shortages in an era of escalating climate extremes – and the constant, relentless noise factor that’s associated with data centres, and AI data centres in particular. I’m crossing my fingers that the second pitch session will be equally positive, and that I could strike it lucky with both publishers requesting to see the full MSS. But I won’t get ahead of myself. I’ll just be keeping all fingers and toes firmly crossed for the next seven days.
It’s taken far too many months for this marvellous model to grace the dedicated desk space in my office. When Fiona comes to visit next she will be very surprised, and hopefully gratified, that her amazing creative talent is finally on display. We’ve known each other for a very long time, and during the insanely busy time when I was helping to run the flower farm, working part-time in a school library, doing a spot of journalism on the side, and fighting the proposed pulp mill that is the subject of the manuscript I’m hoping to get published, Fiona cleaned my house each week. There’s only so much a person can do after all, and it has to be said cleaning our house during those manic years was fairly low down on the list of my priorities. But Fiona is a woman of many talents and she certainly possesses one that I so don’t have: sewing and dressmaking. So over the years she’s also made a few garments based on the pattern of a favourite garment that I was particularly fond of, and she’s also done some clothing alterations for both of us. My skills with needles and thread are limited to sewing on buttons, and taking up hems on John’s too-long pairs of jeans. Anything else is beyond me. But this fabulous model is the pièce de résistance – along with the beautiful crocheted knee warmer she gave me last year. This was when winter was approaching and so determined was I to finish writing the book, I decided to get out of bed at the insane hour of 5am and get in a solid hour’s writing in before dog walking and the demands of the day took over. Fiona was also one of many Tasmanians who needed to be circumspect about her opinion of the pulp mill. It was a project that polarised people, including families and friendships. She was one of several who passed on snippets of useful information, but on the basis of anonymity so it couldn’t be sheeted home to her. Needless to say Fiona will be one of those whose contribution will be acknowledged – when this book is finally accepted by a publisher.
Early lambing season a sign of changing seasons? Or economic reality?