Tas: Liberals for forests target Tasmania
Copyright 2001 AAP
October 26, 2001, Friday
By Don Woolford
HOBART, Oct 26 - Liberals for forests, which made a spectacular political debut in the West Australian election, launched its federal campaign in Tasmania today with an appeal to environmentally-aware moderate voters.
The party, which is also running in WA and Victoria, expects to cash in on widespread unease in Tasmania over forest policy, especially the continued logging of old growth forests and the spread of plantations.
It will run in the marginal seat of Bass and field two Senate candidates.
Lead Senate candidate Peter Pullinger - a dentist who became an activist after the valley behind Burnie, where he lives, was 40 per cent clearfelled despite being designated a green belt by the local council - said there was widespread community concern about logging and groups like doctors, lawyers and teachers for forests had emerged recently.
But apart from the Greens, whose social policies were too radical for many voters, there was no party to represent them.
He said liberals for forests (liberals for forests) would give people opposed to the Liberal-Labor consensus, which had led to centrally controlled practices, record woodchipping despite decreasing returns and continued old growth logging, a moderate alternative.
Bass candidate Margy Dockray said the party was "mainstream, middle class, moderate Tasmanians saying we want a say and we want a choice".
Liberals for forests will give the Greens their first preference, followed by the Australian Democrats. They will then split their ticket between the major parties.
Given their late start and - unlike in WA - their lack of high-profile candidates, their most likely effect will be to boost the re-election chances of Greens Senator Bob Brown.