A delegation of forest campaigners, scientists and activists brought the plight of forests and wildlife to federal parliament yesterday.
‘The forest forum held by environmentalists in Parliament House today highlighted the absurdity of continuing the job-shedding native forest logging industry in Australia on both economic and environmental grounds,’ said Jenny Weber, Bob Brown Foundation’s Campaigns Manager, who facilitated the forum.
‘We are in Federal Parliament today to bring the ancient forests to the people who can end logging now. However, the response has been largely ignorance and indifference. Our task is to inform the voting public of that indifference.
‘Prime Minister Albanese and Peter Dutton may as well be holding the chainsaws as they oversee the destruction of forests that’s killing wildlife and heating the planet. Both have helped relegate the environment to pariah status in federal politics.
‘We won’t stand by and let their indifference continue as we continue to take frontline action in the forests and mobilise thousands of people onto the streets in the lead up to the federal election,’ said Jenny Weber.
Saint Bob speaks
‘Saving the forests would be a vote-winner with 79 per cent of Labor voters and 62 per cent of Coalition voters supporting an end to native forest logging,’ said Bob Brown.
‘Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton share a deeply ingrained disdain for Australia’s environment, not least its forests. The old parties’ indifferent attitude will hasten the swing, especially amongst young voters, to the Greens, teals and green-minded independents in this year’s election,’ he said.
Addressing the forum alongside Bob Brown Foundation Campaigns Manager Jenny Weber today were Professor David Lindenmayer, Scott Daines from NSW’s South East Forest Rescue, Virginia Young – Board Member with Wilderness Australia, Leanne Minshull from The Australia Institute, and long-standing forest campaigner Margaret Blakers.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
