The Government set themselves up for their extremely embarrassing gaffe outfitting the Beehive when they passed forestry legislation killing the West Coast Accord, ACT Forestry spokesman Ken Shirley said today.

"Outfitting the Beehive with foreign wood is embarrassing. This is a classic example of Government hypocrisy.

"The fact they are now pulling the wood out is ridiculous. They’ve blundered, but they may as well leave the wood where it is, rather than waste it.

"The cabinet requirement that ‘no native timber be used’ is equally ridiculous, given that all tree species are native of somewhere. Why not use our own decorative timbers sourced from sustainably managed forests?

"New Zealand's sustainable forest industry is denied work because of Government stupidity. Tawa from certified sustainable forests is available, but Parliamentary Services has been told not to use it. The Government’s perverse political rhetoric and fawning to the Greens means that forest workers are left without work while we import African wood.

"When the Government demolished the West Coast forestry industry, I predicted that New Zealand would start importing foreign species instead of sustainably managing our own resources.

"It is even worse that the Government is bringing Anegre here. Anegre isn’t certified internationally as being sourced from sustainably managed forests, whereas Tawa is.

"New Zealand led the world in sustainable forest management until the Government intervened, reneging on the West Coast Accord.

"Now, having put foreign wood in the Beehive, they are tearing it out. The wastefulness is only surpassed by the hypocrisy,” Ken Shirley said.

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