Sunday, November 18, 2012

Tasmanian Community Newspaper strays into dangerous territory with "genetically pure" shocker

North West Tasmania's Circular Head Chronicle has a circulation that includes Smithton and surrounding townships and takes in a total audience of around 12,000 people.
This bizzare & controversial editorial (excerpt below) was published in this weeks Circular Head Chronicle on the papers Facebook page on the eve of pro industry rally in Burnie. The article immediately caught the attention of facebook users and attracted a crowd much to the dismay of the papers editor.
The editorial has drawn widespread condemnation for its sinister reference to "the genetically pure" forest worker, aggressive vilification of environmentalists and unsubstantiated accusations of tree spiking and vandalism of equipment. Unsubstantiated allegations that the Premier of Tasmania, Lara Giddings was forced to retract and apologise for earlier this year.

"For too long Tasmania has been hampered by the ‘city greens’ who use Tasmania as a social conscience while they enjoy a not-so-green city lifestyle fed with myth and fantasy about the evils of the timber industry and the ‘red neck’ Tasmanian whose sole purpose is to cut down everything in sight. Hello! We want our people to enjoy the fruit of the land for generations to come and for that to happen a sustainable timber ‘crop’ needs to be managed carefully. This was once undertaken by the now threatened species - the forestry worker, the most genetically pure being proud individuals with a love and understanding of the forest well ahead of the legions of pseudo green ‘students of the world’.

Make up your own mind. Read the rest of the editorial and online debate here and here