Government's 'Good Faith' Doesn't Extend To Coasters

Monday 13th Dec 1999 Ken Shirley Media Release -- Environment

The Government's directive today to end the beech logging scheme on the West Coast was a move to stop expert evidence that the scheme is sustainable and environmentally sound from being heard, according to ACT Forestry Spokesman and International Forestry expert Hon Ken Shirley.

"The favourite buzz words of Prime Minister Helen Clark and her Deputy Jim Anderton since the election have been 'good faith'. Their actions today show that their words are meaningless. It's clear that theirs will be a Government that does not mean what it says.

"It's also clear that the Labour/Alliance Government is afraid of the judicial process. The Timberlands scheme is recognised around the world as a model for sustainable forestry," he said.

"The consent application hearing that is currently underway is based on the fact that the scheme is sustainable. The evidence from experts at the hearing will confirm that the Timberlands beech-logging scheme is sustainable and should continue.

"The Government is completely overriding the Resource Management Act just to keep 'urban greenies' on side. There is no evidence to support what Labour, the Alliance and the Greens are doing to the West Coast and its people.

"The Government must now brace itself to pay out millions of taxpayers' money in compensation. The Labour/Alliance Coalition will pay out millions more for useless regional development projects like Anderton's possum plucking scheme.

"Labour and the Alliance have today gone ahead with their plans to kill off the real jobs on the West Coast and replace them with taxpayer funded work for the Government schemes," said Hon Ken Shirley.

ENDS

For more information visit ACT online at http://www.act.org.nz or contact the ACT Parliamentary Office at act@parliament.govt.nz.

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