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Transcript of ABC's 'AM' Report - Saturday, 4 September , 2004 08:08:00 [This is the print version of story http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2004/s1192243.htm] Reporter: Alexandra Kirk HAMISH ROBERTSON: The Federal Opposition leader Mark Latham heads for Tasmania today, where he'll be electioneering in two key seats – Bass and Braddon. But he's not expected to unveil his forests policy today. That's scheduled for later in the campaign. Well, now the Prime Minister has said that he, too, has a plan, which insiders say will promise to protect large chunks of Tasmania's world-renowned old growth forests, and at the same time safeguard jobs. It's all in response, it seems, to the burgeoning environmental vote. Alexandra Kirk reports from the campaign trail. ALEXANDRA KIRK: The environment is back on the political agenda and the Prime Minister's watching the green vote closely. He's been working on his own plan, which he's promising to unveil during the election. JOHN HOWARD: I would like to see, I think most Australians would like to see, an end to the logging of old growth forests, but it must not be at the cost of throwing hard working Australians and their communities onto the scrap heap. ALEXANDRA KIRK: When politicians talk about old growth forests, they're talking about Tasmania. While it was Mark Latham who went to Tasmania with Greens leader Bob Brown a few months back, the Prime Minister's now throwing out a challenge to Labor on the environment. The Greens are polling well. The majority of their preferences likely to flow to Labor. Mr Howard's sensed the mood swing. AM understands the Government is preparing to pledge to lock up significant chunks of Tasmania's old growth forests, including the Tarkine and the Styx Valley, regarded as iconic. That's expected to affect a handful of timber mills, but job losses would be contained, says one source, because there's enough timber in plantations to produce, quote, "a wall of wood" for the mills. Liberal Senator Bill Heffernan is one of the Government's keenest advocates for stopping logging of Australia's oldest and tallest trees. BILL HEFFERNAN: We've got to do the right thing in Tasmania. Obviously it's up to the decision makers of the Government to define that, but I'm confident that the Government will do the right thing to protect the long term heritage values of Tasmania, so we can look back in fifty years and be proud, future generations can be proud, of what we've done – unlike mistakes we've made with water, where we've over allocated the rivers of the Murray Darling River Basin and looked back with horror and said how we could we have done that. We've brought on Australia's greatest environmental problems in Australia, which is dry land salinity by over clearing a hundred years ago and we've all said how the hell did we do that. With the knowledge we've got now, it's just simply no more complicated than the right thing to do to end the over commitment of the land mass to Tasmania in the way it is and end old growth immediately. ALEXANDRA KIRK: So that means you think the Government should cease old growth logging straight away? BILL HERFFERNAN: Well the scientists tell us that if we don't act now, we would have gone past the point of return to protect the long term heritage value of Tasmania's old growth forests. ALEXANDRA KIRK: And do you think this is what the Prime Minister has in mind? That during the election campaign he will pledge to cease old growth logging? BILL HEFFERNAN: I'm not about to predict what the Prime Minister or the decision makers of the Government might do, but I do know that those people are listening carefully to the issues and giving serious consideration to doing the right thing and we've got to look after the jobs, but we've also got to look after Mother Earth and the hundred year outlook for Tasmania's heritage values. ALEXANDRA KIRK: And do you think the Prime Minister has gone on this environmental journey with you? BILL HEFFERNAN: Well, it's not a question of anyone going on a journey with me. It's just a question of people… ALEXANDRA KIRK: Or the same environmental journey? BILL HEFFERNAN: …Getting the information and I'm sure that the Government is listening. HAMISH ROBERTSON: Liberal Senator, Bill Heffernan. © 2004 Australian Broadcasting Corporation What
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