You are scared of me

SENATOR Bob Brown is too scared to debate me on the facts of Australia’s sustainable timber industry.

Once again, despite having four hours available for questioning in Senate Estimates yesterday, not a single question was asked by the Greens (or Labor for that matter) about forestry.

This comes on top of Senator Brown and the Greens failing to ask me a single question in Senate Question Time about forestry since I became Minister in January.

Senator Brown and the Greens know that Australia’s sustainable timber industry is world class and know that their misinformation and lies about it would be exposed when presented with the facts in Estimates.

Meanwhile,

Media Release

The Wilderness Society

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT RECEIVES THOUSANDS OF GUNNS PULP MILL PROTESTS

Community outrage at continued pulp mill subsidies

Over 2500 letters opposing Gunns’ proposed pulp mill in the Tamar Valley have today been delivered to the Federal Environment Minister Senator Ian Campbell. The Minister has the power to determine whether or not the pulp mill project is allowed to proceed.

The delivery of the letters follows the Federal Budget, which contained a $60 million pulp mill subsidy in the form of an upgrade to East Tamar Highway. This will provide access for the huge number of log truck movements the proposed pulp mill will require. This comes on top millions of dollars already provided to prop up the assessment process for the mill and the diversion of Commonwealth money into land clearing of more native forests for plantations to feed the mill.

“Taxpayer funds are being thrown at a pulp mill that will drive ongoing forest destruction and pollute both the air and marine environment,” said Sean Cadman, spokesperson for The Wilderness Society. “These letters represent the sentiment of many Tasmanians who say NO to this pulp mill”.

“We call on Minister Campbell not to approve Gunns’ proposed pulp mill. His government should withdraw their support for the pulp mill and move to protect Tasmania’s threatened forests.

“These are precious taxpayer dollars being spent on giving a bad pulp mill a public leg up,” said Mr Cadman. “Taxpayers are tired of funding corporate welfare payouts and Minister Campbell should not ignore the sentiments of the Tasmanian public.”

“The $250 million contained in last year’s Howard-Lennon forest agreement was to help shift the logging industry away from its current reliance on destroying old-growth forests. This transition is not happening and the current pulp mill will entrench the status quo of forest destruction and job losses.”

“I am confident it will be no easier to sell dirty pulp than the dirty woodchips from Tasmania that Japanese customers are currently rejecting.”