Timber industry should speak to bankers, not old-style politicians: our common ground

Media Release

Thursday 18 March 2010

Timber industry should speak to bankers,
not old-style politicians: our common ground

Our common ground today said the Forest Industries Association of Tasmania and Timber Communities Australia should spend more time speaking to bankers and less time getting old-style politicians to do its bidding.

Just like last election, FIAT and TCA received the support of all Labor and Liberal candidates. And today, it urged that Tasmanians do what it takes to ensure no new thinking enters the increasingly laughable state of forestry debate.

“The fact is it doesn’t matter what old-style politicians think because markets and bankers aren’t listening,” said Our Common Ground’s Peter Skillern.

Mr Skillern noted the raft of failures that old-style thinking as brought about over the last four years:

• Gunns profit down by 98 per cent with internal strife at an all-time high.

• No financial backer for the pulp mill that Labor and Liberal rammed through.

• Launceston company FEA suspending trading on the ASX.

• Ministers hastily announcing sales deals to Asia — yet to eventuate.

• Contractors in crisis and jobs lost as Tasmania imports New Zealand timber.

“Who do FIAT, TCA, Labor and Liberal think they’re kidding?” Mr Skillern asked. “They should speak more to bankers and markets than themselves. That’s exactly what our competitors in New Zealand and Queensland have done—which all have industries in much better shape.”

Mr Skillern said today’s announcement is an insult to the intelligence of Tasmanians.

“We hate to break it to the old boys, but they’ve been in charge for decades and the timber industry has never been in worse shape,” he said. “Old-style thinking just doesn’t work.”
Peter Skillern, Our Common Ground