Labour Hypocrisy On Indigenous Forests

Rod O'Beirne, Tapawera
West Coast Tasman National Party Candidate
R.D.2, Wakefield

NATIONAL CANDIDATE ACCUSES LABOUR LEADER AND CONSERVATION SPOKESPERSONS OF BLATANT HYPOCRISY ON INDIGENOUS TIMBER

West Coast Tasman National Party Candidate Rod O'Beirne accused Labour's Helen Clark, Jill Pettis and John Blincoe of blatant hypocrisy in advocating an end to all indigenous forestry whilst having extensive use of native timbers in their own homes.

'They should practise what they preach. Its like people who like eating meat but are opposed to animals being killed. It is city thinking at its worst. If they like their Rimu furniture, why shouldn't other New Zealanders have the same opportunity to enjoy it through sustainable timber management and provide jobs for the West Coast.'

It was shown on a recent television documentary that Helen Clark's Mt. Albert home has a refurbished native timber kitchen. Labour Conservation Spokesperson Jill Pettis was boasting at the time of "Invest in the West" seminar at the Beehive of her beautiful Rimu furniture milled from private forests.

'At least Labour list candidate and previous Conservation spokesperson John Blincoe was consistent. He advocated a shutdown of the West Coast native timber industry and refused to have native timber products in his office or home but now he has revealed to Coasters that he has Rimu in his house'

'I enjoy the beautiful native timber furniture and joinery in our house and I commend Ms Clark, Ms Pettis and Mr Blincoe for their good taste. I challenge them to reconsider their policy on indigenous timber. Clear felling and unsustainable logging must stop but sustainable indigenous forestry is both environmentally sound and an industry the West Coast needs for jobs'.

ENDS.

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