Broadcast: 08/12/2006

Reporter: Rachel Fisher

RACHEL FISHER: The 1990's began with a scandal that was to consume political and business circles.

REPORTER: Rouse, 63, has pleaded not guilty to the charges which allege he attempted to bribe Tasmanian Labor member for Bass, Jim Cox.

RACHEL FISHER: Three months later, media boss Edmund Rouse changed his plea to guilty and took his secrets with him to jail.

REPORTER: Edmund Alexander Rouse, Tasmanian media magnate, arguably it's most successful businessman is tonight under lock and key.

RACHEL FISHER: Lingering doubts about the involvement of others following Rouse's guilty plea led to the Carter Royal Commission ... and troubled times for former Liberal Premier Robin Gray.

REPORTER: In a poltiical bombshell, it found Mr Gray knew of and was involved in the bribery attempt. It said he was evasive and dishonest when interviewed by police, and that his conduct was grossly improper, given he was then Premier

ROBIN GRAY: I know that i can hold my head high, i knew nothing about the bribery attempt.

REPORTER: Ironically, the findings were handed down on the eve of Rouse's release from jail ... at midnight, after asking for protection from the media.

The release started the great Rouse chase, the 7:30 report's rod wallis found him.

REPORTER/EDMUND ROUSE: But when we ran into him there was no sign of pleasure. I know you're an arsehole, why do you have to behave like one? Mr Rouse would you care to talk to us at all, from the 7;30 report? I would not deal with the ABC in any way shape or form and particualrly not the 730 report. You wouldnt care to comment on payment of your legal costs? Why should i, well, I'm entitled to them thankyou very much. Can i ask you why you won't talk to us, Mr Rouse? Because i dont like you .

RACHEL FISHER: It wasn't politics but religion that caused a stir in 1992, when the Anglican Church was divided over the ordination of it's first woman priest.

PRIEST: The church wil go into chaos in my opinion, which it has already done to a great extent

RACHEL FISHER: A school community mourned the loss of two students in a caving accident at Mystery Creek in the State's south.

In Germany, the Grundwaldt family mourned after the disappearance of their daughter, Nancy, who was last seen backpacking on the east coast.

The brutal stabbing of 20-year-old Italian tourist Victoria Cafasso on an eact coast beach in broad daylight two years later prompted police to investigte a link between the cases.

A decade on, both deaths remain unsolved.

RACHEL FISHER: On the water, Tasmania had much to celebrate.

Tasmania hosted the world rowing championships at Lake Barrington, the new Bass Strait ferry, Spirit of Tasmania replaced the Abel Tasman, and the Sea Cat, pioneered by boat builder Bob Clifford began plying Bass Strait between Georgetown and Port Welshpool.

It became notorious for making passengers sea sick ... and Bob Clifford became notorious for his adventures.

In 1994, Clifford's 40 million dollar catarmaran Condor 11 ran aground on Blackjack Rocks, south of Hobart, during sea trials. It's new British owners were among 48 people ferried in dinghies to safety.

INCAT WORKER: It's very hard to say what actually happened because we were just proceedinG along as normal in the seatrials, everything was going to plan.

RACHEL FISHER: It would take six weeks to get Condor off its precarious perch.

Less than three months later, Bob Clifford was at the helm of his maxi-ketch "Tasmania" when it took Sydney-to-Hobart line honours.

The ABC has played an integral part in coverage of the blue-water classic - never more so than the tragic race of 1998 which claimed 6 lives.

DAVID HARDY: That's been part of it for a number of years, ever since we started following it with the helicopter. That helicopter is a safety net as much as any providing us with good vision, and it's a race you would never see otherwise.

BOB BROWN: The Government has shown it cannot be trusted, it cannot stick to its word , it cant stick to a commitment it has been left to the Greens to stick to it all way down the line

RACHEL FISHER: When the experimental Labor-Green accord fell-over in the early 90's, Premier Michael Field struggled on ... But despite later being credited with laying the foundations for the State's current economic good times, voters couldn't stomach his tough economic management.

Lead by Ray Groom, who'd rolled Robin Gray just five weeks earlier, the Liberals were swept to power .

MICHAEL FIELD: I have been in Parliament 15 years, and the last two and a half have been pretty difficult, i dont know, i better stop for a bit.

REPORTER: Today was D-day on picket lines and both sides knew it was going to get rough.

RACHEL FISHER: Mid-1992 saw one of the biggest and most volatile industrial disputes in Tasmanian history.

For weeks, workers picketed outside APPM's Burnie mill, angry at the company's push to revoke all industrial agreements and drive unions from the workplace.

RACHEL FISHER: The Groom years also saw the historic land handback to the aboriginal community ... a process not repeated till the handover of Wybalena in 1999.

And the 90's also saw the start of the controversial Heemskirk to Zeehan link road, better known as the Road to Nowhere.

New gGreens leader Christine Milne led the protests

POLICE OFFICER/CHRISTINE MILNE: I must inform you at this particular point that this is private property and i'm empowered under the forestry act to restrict access to any unauthorised persons. Will you leave the area? I'm here to save the Tarkine. I'm placing you under arrest.

RACHEL FISHER: Later that year, the national disaster plan was activated when the 37,000-tonne iron ore carrier the Iron Baron, hit Hebe Reef at the mouth of the Tamar River ... spilling more than 500 tonnes of oil .

It sparked a massive clean-up operation, to save thousands of oil-slicked penguins.

REPORTER: The Iron Baron has been removed but the clean expected to go on for months.

RACHEL FISHER: Three weeks later, the carrier was scuttled east of Flinders Island.

STATELINE TITLES: Hello and welcome to the first edition of Stateline.

RACHEL FISHER: February 1996 saw the start of Stateline, and the end of Ray Groom's government ... stung by moves to give policitians a 40 percent pay rise.

RAY GROOM: The people have given us a bit of a kick in the pants

RACHEL FISHER: Ray Groom couldn't claim a majority in the hung parliament ... so he left it for former treasurer Tony Rundle.

Within weeks of the poll, the events of one tragic Sunday would devastate the community and unite political foes.

REPORTER: A lone gunman entered the Port Arthur historic site armed with a high powered rifle, gunning down tourists and setting fire to buildings.

RACHEL FISHER: 35 people died ... gunman Martin Bryant was sentenced to 35 life terms, but 10 years on, his recent move from the prison to a mental health facitlity has revived the grief.

The late 90's saw the introduction of pokies in pubs and clubs ... and Tasmania led the nation in anti-discrimination law when the conservative upper house passed legislation to give equal rights to gays and lesbians.

RODNEY CROOME: Nine years, nine years to have these laws repealed, and there have been times when we didnt think it would ever happen, certainly not this century

RACHEL FISHER: The Parliament also led the way on another social issue, with an apology to members of the Stolen Generation ... followed only this month by a compensation package

TONY RUNDLE: This Parliamanet on behalf of all Tasmanians expresses its deep and sincere regrets at the hurt and distress caused by past policies

RACHEL FISHER: Through the decade, as in those before it, forestry was a key political issue ... the 1997 signing of the Regional Forest Agreement was meant to end the debate.

But six months later, more protests and arrests as loggers moved into Mother Cummings Peak in the Great Western Tiers.

One innovative campaigner took his message to new heights.

In 1998, bushfires again ravaged Hobart suburbs.

REPORTER: The driest conditions in decades combined with strong winds, sparking fears of a repeat of 1967 bushfire tragedy

RACHEL FISHER: In the Parliament, things were getting too hot for Premier Tony Rundle. Barely half-way through his term, fed up with minority government and opposition to his plan to reduce state debt by selling the Hydro, Mr Rundle went to the polls.

His opponent, new Labor leader Jim Bacon ...

JIM BACON: What you're saying to me is that if you fight with us, then we will be right in there punching every step of the way.

But the Liberals' throw of the dice didn't come off.

JIM BACON: I am the first Labor leader since Doug Lowe in 1979 that can stand here and says that Labor has won a majority.

RACHEL FISHER: Tasmanians voted to keep the Hydro and backed the major parties' push to cut the number of politicians.

CHRISTINE MILNE: Our representation is poorer because the Liberal and Labor parties in Tasmania colluded to change the Tasmanian consitution overnight.

RACHEL FISHER: Christine Milne was a casualty - Peg Putt the lone Green sailor.

Jim Bacon's honeymoon soured just days after taking office, when Ansett pulled out of the state.

But Labor's mood improved as the Liberals' internal troubles increased ... largely due to maverick backbencher Bob Cheek.

He earned a shinner in the party room - he says it was from Ray Groom, but their colleagues have never told.

SUE NAPIER: We are all aware Mr Cheek has got a black eye. I've heard him refer that it was something to do with a garden rake, a zig when he should've zagged.