18 November 2024
The Federal Greens’ renewed demands to end native forestry in exchange for support for the Government’s flawed Nature Positive laws need to be ruled out by the Federal Labor Government immediately, Coalition Shadow Forestry Minister Jonno Duniam says:
“As Opposition Leader, Anthony Albanese made an ironclad commitment to Tasmanians that he would not shut down native forestry. The Prime Minister needs to stand by this commitment and announce that the Government will not give in to this ridiculous offer from the Greens.”
“Given that Labor have just announced new Federal candidates in the native forestry-heavy electorates of Braddon and Lyons, it would be an absurdity to throw these candidates under the bus by destroying the livelihoods of many native forestry workers not only in these electorates, but throughout the country, just to appease the Greens and allay the unfounded concerns that many inner city voters have over native forestry.”
“These jobs are sustainable and forestry workers care about the environment more than almost any other industry.”
“This would be yet another escalation of the Albanese Government’s attacks on regional jobs following the disastrous Blayney gold mine decision and its moves against the Tasmanian salmon industry.”
“A native forestry ban is akin to an attack on all extractive industry workers throughout the country.”
ENDS
Background: Albanese letter to Tasmanian forestry workers, May 2022