Tasmanian timber boss allowed reply

A timber executive is being allowed to use the parliamentary record to deny claims made by Tasmanian independent MP Andrew Wilkie.

Parliament's privileges committee on Thursday agreed that Evan Rolley, chief executive of Ta Ann Tasmania and former head of Forestry Tasmania, should have his response to claims Mr Wilkie made about him in parliament last June incorporated in Hansard.

In his response, Mr Rolley said Mr Wilkie made statements and presented material which adversely reflected on him.

Mr Wilkie had never checked his facts with him.

Mr Rolley said the material contained serious errors of fact, made defamatory references without foundation and was based on popular conspiracy theories.

He said Forestry Tasmania and Ta Ann Tasmania have operated ethically and legally in their commercial dealings arising from competitive bids to develop value-added local manufacturing of hardwood logs.

In agreeing to the response being published, the committee said it had not tried to judge the truth of what either Mr Wilkie or Mr Rolley said.