Anti-National Election Campaign Launch By Environmental Group

This morning Native Forest Action campaigners erected a startling billboard, which depicts the sun rising over a tree stump with the words: "New Zealand. First country in the world still logging rainforests in the new millenium."

This action launched the group's election campaign which will involve posters, protests and other publicity to remind voters of National's distressing environmental record.

"The target of this campaign will be Jenny Shipley because the Prime Minister is the most rigid supporter of Timberlands' native forest logging in government," said Native Forest Action spokesperson Dean Baigent-Mercer, "With Jenny Shipley stridently in favour of Timberlands' logging we've realised that the only way to stop the trees falling is a change of government."

"Government hypocrisy has reached a crescendo in recent weeks with the Conservation Minister announcing conservation measures on Stewart Island at the same time as allowing state company Timberlands to expand its logging on the West Coast."

"The government deliberately rushed the Forests Amendment Bill through parliament under urgency three weeks ago. If passed, the Bill will see us turning back the clock to the 1970s and '80s by allowing woodchipping of our native forests for paper."

"Even harder to believe, the proposed law would allow the export of whole native logs, with no New Zealand processing."

Submissions on the Forests Amendment Bill close today at 5pm.

Native Forest Action campaigners dressed in overalls hung their eyecatching banner in front of the daily commuter traffic down the Wellington end of the old Hutt Road at 8am.

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