restaurant critic and festival curator leo schofield said living in tasmania was the unhappiest time of his life .
he said the government cut funding to a festival he was setting up by 25 % .
the struggle for funding led him to develop acute depression .
he criticised locals for wanting to ` dig it up , chop it down , sell it to the chinese '
spokesperson for state 's tourism industry council said his comments were ` blatant mistruths '