The Prime Minister Anthony Albanese continues to use weasel words and political games to mislead native hardwood timber workers in a series of answers to Federal Parliament during Question Time, according to Member for Gippsland Darren Chester. Source: Timberbiz
Mr Chester said the Prime Minister was under pressure to explain his repeated claims that the National Reconstruction Fund supports forestry workers, despite doing a deal with the Greens to exclude the native timber sector from the funds.
“The Prime Minister and his frontbench might think it’s funny to play word games and mock the Coalition but I can promise him that timber workers and their families were unimpressed with his Question Time antics today,” Mr Chester said.
“Laughing as workers lose their jobs, and refusing to answer questions on the lack of Federal Government support for the native hardwood timber industry, were the hallmarks of a Prime Minister who is all about Parliamentary tactics and nothing about blue collar workers.
“Either Mr Albanese doesn’t know the difference between softwood, hardwood and the plantation sector or he is trying to trick the native timber industry into believing he supports their cause in the wake of Victoria’s decision to ban the industry next year.
“As he waffled and feigned indignation in Question Time, the Prime Minister refused to provide a single example of how the National Reconstruction Fund will support native hardwood timber industry workers and their families.
“That’s because the deal with the Greens specifically excludes the native hardwood timber industry from receiving any funds and Mr Albanese has no problem with Premier Dan Andrews’ appalling decision to destroy timber communities in Victoria.
“If the ban goes ahead, Victoria will simply raid other states for native hardwood timber or import more hardwood products from countries with poorer environmental protocols.
“Surely the Federal Government is worried about Australia’s sovereign capacity to provide the hardwood we need for a growing population and understands how Victoria’s decision will have national cost of living and environmental implications.”
Mr Chester said the Prime Minister needed to find the courage to stand up to Dan Andrews and protect blue collar workers in regional areas.
“Make no mistake, this native timber ban is a Dan-made disaster which will devastate Gippsland communities and take us a generation to recover from,” Mr Chester said.
“My communities are resilient and have stood united as they faced fires, floods and droughts but nothing can save a town from the madness of Dan Andrews.
“Gutless Victorian Labor MPs should have stood up for blue collar workers and protected their jobs from these inner city Greens policies, and now the Prime Minister has to make a stand.
“Last year the Prime Minister tweeted after speaking at the Australian Forest Products Association dinner in Canberra: ‘We want a thriving and a sustainable timber industry… one that provides jobs and drives down our emissions for years to come’.
“After a year in Government, the Prime Minister hasn’t lifted a finger to support Victorian timber communities and the families that will lose their income as a result of this decision.
“There’s no compensation package that can replace the bush skills, heritage, community spirit and economic value of the native hardwood timber industry.
“The combined impacts of judicial activism, environmental protests, green law fare, and an abject failure of the Labor Party to support our world class and environmentally sustainable native hardwood timber industry is devastating regional communities.”
