Gee, the parties are treating you folks just like they treat the rest of we taxpayers.

How awful! perhaps they consider your ‘open letter’ irrelevant?

After all an ‘open letter’ does not demand a reply does it?

Have you written to them directly?

The publishing of ‘open letters’ (ie unsolicited comment publicly targetting persons or principles you don’t agree with) cannot be supported by petulant statements that they were ignored.

Sure, it’s a great lobbyist tactic and this particular organ is full of it - but open letters do not require a response…

I am disappointed to think that (cynically) after the election is over the ‘open letters’ will cease. Keep ‘em up, and I support your right to issue them (shades of Volataire here) but don’t whine when no-one responds; if anything it undermines your own integrity.

In answer to Skeptic’s question, “Have you written to them directly?”

Yes, as indicated above, the letter was emailed to all 3 leaders on Monday evening (6:46pm), using their email addresses listed at http://www.parliament.tas.gov.au and listing all 28 signatories.

The email concluded, “We would welcome your response to its recommendations at your earliest convenience, and if possible, this week.”

We appreciate receiving the reply from the Tasmanian Greens, a two page letter from their leader specifically addressing each of our recommendations. Since it was an open letter, we thought we should letter people know of this reply.

It would have been nice to receive a response, or even an acknowledgement, from the other leaders, but as of 5:20pm, Friday 19 March we have not heard anything from them.

Tom Baxter, Lecturer, School of Accounting & Corporate Governance, UTAS

#2 I do wish you are part of some government Media & Communications or Premier’s Department as you have exemplified the attitude that has landed the Labor and Liberal parties in so much trouble. They never respond to anything! They know best and don’t you worry about that!

Typically, they have been heads in the sand and bums in the air. People are tired of seeing their bums.

What would you expect when the open letter relies upon a push poll undertaken by the Wilderness society’s PR Company.
Normally Get up uses the same PR firm, but judging by the crowd that turned up for the Baxter Raverty show, perhaps a local Tasmanian PR company would have been better.

Love Rita

Progressive, ethical, just and considered analysis of what needs to be done. You don’t have a cat in hell’s chance of hearing anything back from them. Not that i’ve become jaded and cynical from following the exploits of the mindless chumps who run Tasmania…obviously.

#3 Tom, I guess the major parties did the same thing I did:  took one look at the signatories and thought “well, they would say that, wouldn’t they”.  IMHO if you want a mainstream response, you need some mainstream correspondents, beyond the usual suspects.

As you say, it’s nice to receive responses.  Have you considered one to my question: did you ask other UTas academics to sign the letter, or did they refuse?

#7 Mark, Re your question:
Yes, I emailed the letter to some other UTAS academics. eg I emailed it to my School colleagues late Monday morning asking whether or not they would be willing to add their name that day. None of them replied “refusing”; some did not reply; some said they supported the senitiments but were too busy to consider the details in time; and some added their name before the letter was sent that evening. Some academics contacted me after the cut-off supporting it. Overall, given the limited numbers to whom it was sent, and the limited scope for busy people to make time to consider the detail, I was overwhelmed by the positive response.
Tom Baxter, Lecturer, School of Accounting & Corporate Governance, UTAS

Thanks Tom #8, that’s illuminating and I appreciate it.