Tue, 10 Mar 2026 09:49:33 +1000WeeblyWed, 22 May 2013 11:42:29 GMThttp://www.stevebishop.net/seeney-and-the-nats-topple-newman-and-tree-clearing-laws/seeney-and-the-nats-topple-newman-and-tree-clearing-lawsIt’s not just Queensland’s tree clearing laws that have been axed. Premier Campbell Newman has been chopped off at the knees by National Party stalwarts led by Jeff Seeney.

The Premier, a Liberal, put his name and reputation on the line before the State Election by signing his name to a promise that the “LNP will retain the current level of statutory vegetation
protection”.
 
He obviously believed that with the backing of former Liberal members he could resist pressure from former Nationals who were determined to repeal legislation preventing widespread tree clearing.
 
But the man who led the LNP in Parliament before the 2012 election, Jeff Seeney, described by his National Party predecessor in the seat of Callide as “the ugly face of politics”, has rolled the Premier.

It is important to remember that in the mix of Liberals and Nationals in Parliament before the election it was the National Party which was dominant and which chose the leader of the combined parties.

Now Seeney, a man who admitted to using a tactical lie in Parliament, and the Nats have taken a D9 to the Liberal Premier's promise and to the legislation which put a stop to massively destructive tree clearing in 1999.

Campbell Newman has earned the scorn of the Nats by failing to deal with Liberal failings.

He agreed to a factional deal in appointing Michael Caltabiano, a political heavyweight, to be director-general of the Department of Transport and Main Roads where he was revealed to be a   bureaucratic lightweight.

He backed the inept Ros Bates for way beyond her use-by date.

And he showed he had learned nothing by doing the same with disgraced Redcliffe MP Scott Driscoll for way beyond his use-by date.

The Nats have taken charge. How long before the LNP is rebadged as the New Nats? History shows that the Nationals have always ridden roughshod over the Queensland Liberals

Many Liberals and their backers recognise that climate change has to be tackled and will be dismayed that the Premier has been no match for Seeney and the Nats.

Official figures from the Queensland Government’s own Department of Science, Innovation and the Arts reveal that CO2
equivalent emissions caused by land-use change and forestry in Queensland dropped from more than 85 million tonnes in 1990 to 18.7million tonnes in 2009.

The legislation to stop rampant tree clearing was introduced in 1999.

But Queensland still leads Australia in changes to land use that lead to massive CO2 pollution. The Queensland Government’s
own figures show that while our emissions have dropped, we have lagged behind improvements in other states.

And whereas in 1990 we were responsible for just under two-thirds of Australia's emissions, by 2009 we were responsible for more than three quarters.

At a time when the department is warning of the need for more tree planting, the Nationals have opened the way for massive tree clearing.

Natural Resources Minister Andrew Cripps rubbed the Premier’s nose in the dirt when he told the Rural Press Club how the state government would be: "Taking the Axe to Queensland's Tree
Clearing Laws".

In a prime example of doublespeak, Minister Cripps told Parliament in the debate which led to the new legislation: “It is important to note here that the Newman government, and in
particular the Premier, has endured a dishonest campaign centred around an allegation that an election promise has been broken. This is nonsense. To be clear, the legislation is being retained despite its significant faults. The Act will continue to protect remnant vegetation in Queensland. A new purpose is
being introduced to allow an application to be made to clear vegetation for high-value agricultural projects. Until
such time as the application is approved, the vegetation is
protected.”

In other words, until approval for a major agricultural profit-making venture is given the trees are safe. But “high value
agricultural projects” are obviously more important than maintaining natural vegetation, wildlife habitat, eco-systems and reducing CO2 emissions.

It is now hypocritical for anyone in Australia to call for a stop to tree clearing in Borneo, other parts of Asia and the Amazon until we can prevent it in our own backyard.

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