Tony Ryall's gloating broadcast that Timberlands had signed a supply contract with sawmillers only days before Labour announced they would end Timberlands' native beech logging is disgusting says Native Forest Action.

"The beech and rimu supply contracts were signed hurredly and spitefully only days before Labour made their policy commitment to end native forest logging in West Coast public forests. Despite public outcry over the past few years and the expose of Timberlands' grubby PR games, this latest dirty move again has the smug approval of the Minister of SOEs", said Native Forest Action spokesperson Dean Baigent-Mercer.

"At last National's dirty style of politics has revealed itself from behind the veneer of PR companies, denials and much ducking for cover".

"How presumptious of Timberlands to sign away up to 58,000m3 of beech over the next eight years when they don't even have resource consent to begin. This is as low and unscrupulous as it gets."

Native Forest Action doesn't believe the next government should be one that endorses spite contracts.

Tony Ryall's announcement was deliberately timed to try and steal the thunder from today's launch of Labour's environmental policies.

ends

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>