Give threatened species a voice on election day

The Tasmanian Greens Environment spokesperson Cassy O’Connor MP today urged Tasmanian voters to keep the state’s threatened species in mind on Federal Election day, which is also National Threatened Species Day.

“Tasmania’s threatened species are under siege from all directions, largely because neither of the old parties has ever placed a priority on threatened species protection,” Ms O’Connor said.

“When Tasmanians cast their votes on National Threatened Species Day, I would hope they think about the uncertain future that our voiceless threatened species like the Tasmanian devil and the wedge-tailed eagle currently face.”

“The Federal Labor Party has failed to adequately resource the to the Save the Tasmanian Devil program, in the context of its multimillion dollar cuts to the Biodiversity Fund.”

“The Liberal Party is planning to shred federal environmental laws, so that destructive developments like new open cut mines in the Tarkine can avoid any effective, comprehensive scrutiny.”

“At the same time, state Liberal Party governments around Australia are pushing to open up national parks to destructive activities like mining, logging, grazing and shooting.”

“This Federal Election is a chance for Tasmanians to help secure a future for species like the Tasmanian devil, whose disease free home in the state’s north-west currently faces the threat of expanded open cut mining and land clearing.”

“Our state and our country are facing a massive extinction crisis, with more than 20 per cent of our mammal species currently threatened with extinction, and the Labor and Liberal are doing nothing.”

“Our threatened species have absolutely no say in the political processes that will decide whether they survive the threat of extinction, or whether they will disappear forever.

“We can be their voice, with our vote, on Election Day.”
Cassy O’Connor MP Greens Environment Spokesperson