Cassy O'Connor MP | Greens Leader and Forests spokesperson
Through their contemptuous, fact-poor responses to Greens' questions today, the Premier and the Resources Minister have confirmed the Liberals plan to let the loggers in to 400 000 hectares of high conservation value, carbon-rich forest is a cynical and entirely political move.
This is a plan to plunder high conservation value forests and reignite the forest conflict that held this State back for decades.
Forests in places like Bruny Island, Wielangta, the Blue Tier, North East Highlands and the Tarkine are now under direct threat from Will Hodgman's government.
In the last term of government these forests were found to be worthy of protection in reserves, through an independent verification process. This was a fact accepted by industry at the time.
Neither Premier Hodgman or Resources Minister, Guy Barnett, were able to name credible industry participants who supported their plan to go in to these important, contentious forests. It seems it's only them who want to restart Tasmania's forest wars.
Are the Liberals so short of vision, ideas and actual achievements that this is the best they have to offer Tasmanians in the lead up to the next election? Sadly, for the State, it would seem so.