Where does Craig Ingram stand on logging forests??
Our Gippsland East Independent pollie, Craig Ingram, has the image of a champion for our rivers. You’d think this concern for the water would spill over to include our rivers’ catchments, but not so. His attitudes to logging forests were spelled out very clearly in the Herald Sun and on the ABC in early September.
Here’s a summary of his comments’
The conservation movement’s attempts to save old growth would threaten 500 jobs in East Gippsland.
Voters in Cann River, Orbost and on into Bairnsdale want these forests logged.
Not being able to log would devastate his community.
He asked the Lib/Labs to keep logging old growth forests and protect the industry.
There’s 85% of old-growth already reserved.
Banning logging in old-growth forests would hit saw-millers hard.
He agreed that we conservationists were very organised and were spending as much time in Parliament House as politicians.
The last point he had right. The rest were simply regurgitated mistruths and rhetoric from industry bosses. Five hundred jobs? That was the estimated number of jobs 10 years ago when there were about 20 mills operating. Now there are six. Most old growth already reserved? – far from it!
Craig Ingram is using out of date information, ignoring a huge swathe of his voters and trying to impress a small band of blue singlets. This will be at the cost of losing a much bigger band of past supporters.
Please call his electoral office and leave him a message –
5152 3491, fax 5152 2023 or email him on
craig.ingram@nullparliament.vic.gov.au, or even write to him:
PO Box 443 Bairnsdale 3875