Liberals for Forests - Victoria
NSW WA
2007
Federal Election 2007
Media Releases
by Liberals for ForestsMedia Releases by candidate
POLICY ASESSMENTS AND COMMENTARY
http://voteclimate.org.au/FED07-Policy-Analysis;, ACF Score-Card ;
Federal Election 2004
NSW
By ABC election analyst Antony Green - as seen on
Crikey .com for Federal Election 2004 - dated 15 October 2004New South Wales
2002
State Election
VictoriaLiberals for Forests, May 2002 (State Election Year )
.."The May Forest Rally was well attended and made a statement to the ALP that the people of Victoria want a change and an end to clear-felling. The concurrent ALP state conference had four forest related motions: two from the CFMEU to ensure that logging goes ahead without impediment, and two from environmentally concerned parts of the ALP. The two motions from the CFMEU were passed, yet the two looking at forest protection were not even debated. It has become patently clear that the current government doesn’t give a hoot for the forests... "
Suresh Pathy at
liberals@forests.org.au.
The time is ripe to stop forest destruction in Victoria.
(A letter from Suresh Pathy)
As most of you will be aware, the forests of Victoria are in a dire situation. The current government has declared its hand: logging of native forests will continue unabated. More about this later. I can understand the views of those that do not want to hear about politics, unfortunately politics and governments are the end game for many issues, including forests.
If you are already involved with the Greens, please stay fully involved with that party. It takes the combination of the two parties to bring this issue to the forefront of an election campaign. More about this later as well.
As you will be aware, the situation in Western Australia was the same prior to
liberals for forests entering the election. By becoming involved liberals for forests turned the state election into a referendum on logging. Both the major parties knew that to win power they would have to finally address the public’s concerns about logging. The political party that guaranteed an end to logging in Old Growth forests won the election. After 25 years of campaigning for forests the situation was resolved at one state election. It was a huge win, all unprotected Old Growth as well as all areas of forests with high conservation values were taken out of logging forever. Over 80% of all state forests became National Parks with permanent protection, these outcomes were guaranteed by the party. Documents were signed defining areas for protection prior to the winning party gaining preferences and the election.We need to do the same in Victoria. We have a government that came to power promising major changes to logging as well as an end to logging in water catchments. As you will be aware, this government has been a total failure as far as forests are concerned. Since Bracks came to power there has been a major increase in woodchipping and a very aggressive attitude against environment protection. Areas such as Goolengook have been clearfelled along with the Yalmy catchment. These areas were some of the most important areas of forest in Victoria with extremely high conservation values. There has been a 60% increase in woodchip volumes from Victoria, which shows no sign of slowing.
The next election holds a lot of promise for the forests. Bracks has run a low-key government, there aren't any major issues in Victoria. Unlike at the last election we do not have high profile issues such as the casino, City Link, privitisations, hospital closures etc. It gives us the opportunity to make forests the big issue at the election and thus make some major gains. The ALP knows that the Greens have a rising membership and vote, yet they have not taken any notice of this in the way that forests are managed. The main reason for this is that Green preferences in the majority go straight back to the ALP. Unless forests are the keynote issue at the election a majority of Greens branches will direct their preference to the ALP rather than splitting their preference card. If, however, there is a combined attack over forests from two parties from different ends of the political spectrum it will be the deciding factor in who wins or loses. In Western Australia half the cabinet lost their seats, the then premier came close to losing his seat.
We were able to run as
liberals for forests in Aston and the Federal election, as the party is federally registered. We now need to get state registered. This requires a minimum of 500 members, in reality over 700 members before we can apply. As you know, membership of liberals for forests costs nothing but by becoming a member each person is making a strong statement that forests matter to them.Please go on a recruitment drive, if you don’t do it nobody else will. Contact members of your family, friends, and work colleagues. Anyone that is sympathetic to conservation measures, particularly forests. We can win on forests by taking forests into an arena that political parties cannot ignore. Unless we enter the political campaign forests will not feature in the next election and the destruction will continue. It may be that you and your friends are the straw that breaks the logging industries back.
Yours truly,
Dr Suresh Pathy
03 5367 3293
liberals@forests.org.au (For membership form)