THE HON. PAUL LENNON
PREMIER OF TASMANIA

Premier Lennon, thanks for your time.

Good evening Bryan, very good to be with you.

As Premier, I’d like to talk to you about Tasmania.

Yes, well, I’m always very happy to talk about Tasmania, a great place, Tasmania, Bryan, very happy to talk about it. What particular aspect of it interests you?

Well, the administration, how it all works. You run the government, is that right?

Sure, Bryan. Do you want to talk about the people who run Tasmania or do you want to talk about the government?

Well…they’re different?

Yes. We’ve got a bicameral system.

Yes, two houses, sure.

No, there are plenty of houses, Bryan, it’s just that we got a bicameral system of administration in Tasmania.

What are they?

Well, I’m the government…

The administration of the state, yes…

… I’m very happy to talk to you about the government, Bryan, I’m the Premier. It’s quite interesting. It’s very interesting work. You need a suit and a tie, a fax machine…

A what?

A fax machine, you need a fax machine.

A fax machine. Why?

Well, they’re going to need to get in contact with you, aren’t they, the people who need the laws passed.

But don’t you write the laws?

No, no, we pass the laws. It’s a bicameral system.

Well who writes it?

I don’t know who writes them, Bryan. We just get them off a fax machine and we bung them through the Parliament.

You just pass them?

Yes, all those in favour go through that door or that door. It’s a bit like panto. We quite enjoy it. It’s a beautiful building the Parliament. Pop in if you’re in the area.

You’re saying the government is different from the administration, is that right?

Bryan, what I’m saying is we pass the laws.

So who runs the state?

I run the state. I’m the CEO of Gunns.

No, hang on, you’re the Premier of Tasmania.

Sorry, no, I beg your pardon. The guy who runs the state is the CEO of Gunns, I’m just the Premier.

Right. Is Gunns your electorate?

Oh, Gunns is everybody’s electorate, Bryan. You’re mad if you’re not in the Gunns electorate.

You’re the Premier of Tasmania?

That’s right, that’s my job.

You were elected?

That’s right. By Gunns. They put me there and I’m doing the job as well as I possibly can.

Who are Gunns?

Gunns are the people who make the laws in Tasmania in the bicameral system I’m trying to explain to you.

Well what are the laws about?

Anything. A lot of Tasmanian laws are about trees.

What about trees?

Oh, where they are…

…How to get to them?

…How to get them out.

Yes. What happens to the trees when you get them out?

They sell them. They’re sold. They make them into paper.

Paper?

Yes. Make them into paper.

What for?

So we can get the faxes off the fax machine, Bryan, you can’t get the fax off the fax machine if there’s no paper in the fax machine.

So they make fax paper out of these things?

That’s right. Exactly. Get the trees out, turn them into fax paper.

So really, this is all about chopping trees down?

Well, the trees aren’t going to walk out themselves and turn themselves into fax paper, are they? You’ve got to chop them down.

Are you familiar with global warming?

No, who does he work for? Get him to call me; I’ll be in the Parliament.

Mr Lennon, thanks for your time.

Is that a Gunns’ fax?

No, no.

‘Thanks for your time’. I get a few saying, ‘Thanks for your time’ from Gunns, that’s all.

Oh do you? They thank you?

Yes, course they do. I’m the Premier of the state.

Yes, but they run it.

It’s a bicameral system, yes.

Two cameras.

Yes, just like here.

Yes, good.

(Grabs Bryan’s question sheet.) Give me that, I’ll make it into a law.