[Greens-Media] Tas Greens_Bartlett Fails Forests Leadership Test_T Morris MP

[greens at parliament.tas.gov.au]

BARTLETT MUST SHOW LEADERSHIP ON FOREST VIOLENCE

Not Inflame Situation by Implying That Victims are to Blame
 
Nick McKim MP
Greens Leader

Monday, 27 October 2008
Contact: State Parliamentary Offices of the Tasmanian Greens, (03) 6233
8300

www.tas.greens.org.au


The Tasmanian Greens today challenged Premier David Bartlett to condemn
attacks on forest defenders in the Florentine Valley in the strongest
terms, and to cease acting as a stooge for the forest industry by
implying that the activists who have been attacked are somehow to blame.

Greens Leader Nick McKim MP said that contrary to Mr Bartlett's belief,
it is not the protestors who need to 'take a good hard look at
themselves', but the Premier himself who needs to do so.

"We are very lucky that no-one has been seriously hurt so far, and
rather than pouring fuel on the fire Mr Bartlett should be condemning
this violence in the strongest possible terms," Mr McKim said.

"When Tasmania's history is written the brave activists who are
defending Tasmania's magnificent forests from destruction will be seen
as heroes and heroines, and Mr Bartlett will be seen as just another
chainsaw-driven stooge of the logging industry." 

"Mr Bartlett has confirmed that he is just simply another in a conga
line of Labor Premiers who are beholden to a forest industry that
continues to destroy Tasmania's magnificent carbon-rich forests and
contribute significantly to the climate crisis."

"Mr Bartlett has to understand that the activists are the victims here,
and rather than trying to deflect blame on to innocent parties to curry
favour with the logging industry he should be calling a halt to the
contentious logging that is the fundamental reason that conflict still
exists in Tasmania's forests."

"Forestry Tasmania is deliberately and provocatively targeting
contentious coupes that it knows will provoke protest action, and as
such has to accept its share of the blame for recent events."

Mr McKim demanded that Tasmania Police allocate sufficient resources to
investigate the attacks with the urgency required, and commit to all
reasonable measures to protect activists from further attacks.




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