Labor Party forestry lock-ups are threatening the jobs of hundreds of timber workers on both sides of Bass Strait.
The Victorian Labor Government is working to a radical green agenda to lock up the State’s forests that is threatening 250 jobs at Australia’s biggest hardwood sawmill.
Tasmanian Labor is doubling down on its disastrous forestry deal which destroyed more than 4000 jobs under the previous Labor-Green Government.
Guy Barnett said Labor has learned nothing from the spectacular failure of its lock-it-up-and-leave-it approach.
The Liberal Government has introduced legislation to end the lock-ups and enable access to land which has been parked in a wood bank for future production.
Labor has announced it will vote with the Greens to perpetuate the lock-ups – and admitted its approach will mean ongoing subsidies, with taxpayers footing the bill.
There could be no clearer example of Labor abandoning the public interest to pursue the special interests of its special mates.
Tim Bull said the Victorian Labor Government had turned its back on the Gippsland community and forestry jobs throughout Victoria.
We have the largest, most efficient and most effective sawmill in Australia at Heyfield, directly supporting 250 local jobs and more than 7000 jobs in downstream processing.
Those workers and their families have been forced to fight for their livelihoods – including marching in the streets of Melbourne - after Labor has allowed massive resource areas to be put into reserve without being replaced.
Labor threw these workers under a bus to try to win favour with inner city voters who are threatening to take away key Labor inner city seats and whose preferences Labor members rely on for 24 lower house members.