The Hodgman Liberal Government is committed to saving jobs and ending public subsidies to the forest industry by unlocking productive forests.
Unlike Labor, we will not be held captive by minority and vested interests, but will govern in the interests of all Tasmanians.
By unlocking forests wrongly locked away under the so-called forest peace deal, we will allow the industry to stand on its own two feet, ending the need for subsidies – which is money that should go to our hospitals and our schools.
We understand that the Forest Industry Association of Tasmania (FIAT) will act in the commercial interests of its members, but those interests are not aligned with those of the Tasmanian people.
FIAT also does not speak for the entire industry, but only its members, who together account for less than one-third of native forest production and less than 10 per cent of total wood production.
Forestry Tasmania has advised that it cannot commercially supply the legislated minimum sawlog quota from the Permanent Production Forest Zone.
This means there are only three options:
This final option is the only one that will both save jobs and end the public subsidies, and that’s why the Liberal Government is taking this action.
Labor is beholden to the Greens and to vested interests, while the Liberal Government is acting in the interests of all Tasmanians.