The Brumby Government has called on the State Liberals to stop flip-flopping and either admonish or fall into line with their coalition partners the Nationals on the protection of the State’s iconic River Red Gum forests.
Environment and Climate Change Minister Gavin Jennings said a range of National MPs had viciously attacked the package since it was announced in December, but not a peep had been heard from Liberal Leader Ted Baillieu or his environment spokesman, David Davis.
“The Brumby Government is taking action to protect our red gums and Ted Baillieu’s Liberals owe it to Victorians to say if they support that action or if they agree with these attacks by their coalition partners,” Jennings said.
“The Nationals’ opposition to the plan puts them at odds with a range of stakeholders such as the Sporting Shooters’ Association, Field and Game Australia, 4WD Victoria, fishing groups and a range of environmental organisations.
“And one National – Mildura MP Peter Crisp – has broken from the Nationals pack by declaring the package ‘a win for the common man’.”
Jennings said a number of Nationals MPs have led the charge in opposing Red Gum protection, including Damian Drum who called the package ‘a rancid bit of fruit’ and Paul Weller, who has urged the Government to allow the continuation of logging in areas earmarked for National Parks.
“National Party MPs are becoming increasingly strident in attacking the creation of four new national parks to protect our River Red Gums, but the silence from the Liberal Party has been deafening,” Jennings said.
“Ted Baillieu and David Davis once again seem content to stand for nothing.
“The only time either of them mention the environment is when they are opposing a Labor policy or trying to cosy up to the Greens.
“The Liberal and National parties are supposed to be in coalition in Victoria but they won’t commit to policies on significant issues such as water, climate change, channel deepening and now the River Red Gums.
“It is estimated that as many as 75 percent of trees on some stretches of the Murray are either dead or dying but the Liberal party has failed to develop a policy on the issue or even say where it stands.
“The Government announced its response to the VEAC investigation of public land along the Murray River in December 2008, nearly three months later we’ve heard lots of scare campaigns from the Nationals.
“Because the Liberals and Nationals are in coalition, and in the absence of any position by the Liberals, we have to presume that coalition policy is to oppose Red Gum protection.”
