Labor still refuses to back Australian native forestry

Yesterday’s dismal failure by Federal Labor to support the thousands of timber workers betrayed the early shutdown of native forestry in Victoria surprises almost no-one.

Minister for Resources, Felix Ellis, said Tasmanian Labor continues their public silence on Australian native forestry and apparent lack of desire to stand up to their Federal counterparts.

“It’s simply that latest sorry chapter in Labor’s accelerating crabwalk away from sustainable native forestry and the timber communities it supports,” Minister Ellis said

“Given the opportunity to back Tasmanian Liberal Senator Jonno Duniam’s urgency motion yesterday calling on the Federal Government to back Victorian timber workers, Labor instead decided to side with the Greens and oppose it.

“Perhaps the most bizarre contributions made in the debate came—predictably—from the Greens who attempted to align sustainable native forestry with both whaling on the one hand and slavery on the other.

“Ironically for the Greens, the shutdown of our sustainable native forestry sector would inevitable increase timber imports from countries with poorer regulations than our own that would be much more likely to enable modern slavery.”

Minister Ellis said this wasn’t the first time the Albanese Labor Government had sided with the Greens and abandoned native forestry and timber workers.

“In March, Federal Labor did a backroom deal where they backed the Greens to stop the National Reconstruction Fund from direct investment in Australian native forestry projects,” Minister Ellis said.

“This follows hard on the heels on Labor’s shutdown of native forestry in Victoria and WA and recent news that rank and file Labor members are mobilising across the country to change Labor’s policy platform on sustainable native forestry.

“It just further proves the point: you can’t trust Labor with forestry jobs.

“Australian native forestry is sustainable, provides timber to build our homes, fibre for a plastic free future and helps manage bushfire risk.

“Rather than listen to the facts, green-aligned Labor members across the country are giving in to ideology and leaving timber families by the side of the road.

“It’s time for Tasmanian Labor to stand up to activists, commit to supporting our sustainable native forest industry and call on Prime Minister Albanese to honour his commitment that ‘a Government I lead will not shut down the native forest industry in Tasmania’.

“In contrast, the Tasmanian Liberal Government will continue to support our world class sustainable forestry industry and the many Tasmanian families it supports.”