2022-04-13
The Greens have condemned this morning's intense operation to remove peaceful protesters from defending the ancient forests in takayna/Tarkine from being flattened for a proposed toxic tailings dam.
Quotes attributable to Greens senator for lutruwita/Tasmania, Peter Whish-Wilson:
“This smacks of cynical politics – it looks to me like another attempt to inflame a long-standing environmental battle in takayna/Tarkine by the Government for its own self-interest.
“Morrison can see that he is on the nose with Australians – they don’t trust him and can see through his spin. He’s desperate, resorting to divisive culture wars as a vote-winning strategy.
“Australians see the true value of these forests and that they are worth more standing, but the Liberals are only interested in divisive rhetoric to try and salvage votes in a marginal electorate they desperately need to win to have any hope of retaining government.
“If our so-called Environment Minister was doing her job properly then MMG should have been prosecuted for breaching federal environmental law when it commenced works in threatened species habitat – including that of the masked owl - illegally.
“Instead Minister Ley is more interested in using the environment as a political football than actually looking after it.
“If this Government thinks that sacrificing our threatened species habitat and aggravating an environmental battle to maintain votes is going to win the hearts of the people of Braddon then she’s clearly not been paying attention to what’s happening on the ground down here in Tassie.
“People are increasingly aware of takayna/Tarkine’s significance, and the Government’s short-sighted treatment of it, and we will not stop in the fight to protect it.
“The Greens are ready to work alongside the community to protect takayna/Tarkine from any profit-hungry destruction MMG thinks it might be able to get away with under the watch of this reckless Government.
“takayna/Tarkine is home to Australia’s largest temperate rainforest, full of First Nations sites of significance and enormous ecological value. It is a unique place that needs protecting from the threats of logging, mining and other industrial activities.
“When we kick the Liberals out, the Greens will push to secure protections for takayna/Tarkine and all Tasmania’s incredible forests.”