Labor Minister Simon Crean stands condemned for his outrageous attempt to blackmail the Tasmanian Legislative Council and community over future dairy funding. Source: Timberbiz
Coalition Forestry spokesman Senator Richard Colbeck said Tasmanians should be disgusted by Crean’s ruling that proposals to grow the dairy industry would not be funded unless there is a favourable upper house vote on the forestry bill.
Minister Crean, the Regional Development Minister, made the comments at the opening of the Tasmanian Dairy Products factory in Smithton on Friday.
“His moves to link growth in one industry sector to the death of another are nothing short of a disgrace,” Senator Colbeck said. “Even worse is Minister Crean’s obvious lack of understanding of his sham forest deal.
“Not only does the deal kill off the native forest industry, it puts the proposed replacement, the plantation sector, in direct competition with agriculture.
“The transition to plantation proposed under the sham forest deal will require 130,000 hectares of agricultural land – 20% of the agricultural land available in the state.
“The proposed dairy expansion will require up to 40,000ha.
“When added to the increased demand for land for poppies, wine and a number of other commodities the conflict being created becomes painfully apparent.
“There is a real and apparent lack of co-ordination of policy objectives from this government and Tasmanian industry and communities are being left to pay the price.”
