Nikolic Enquiry Wants Enviro Groups to Clean-up After Logging and Mining Companies

Surprised to find this in the Hobart Mercury but not surprised an enquiry first suggested by Andrew Nikolic would arrive at this conclusion. It shows the depth of Liberal ecological depravity - the same phuktards that continued coal mining and wood chipping while the Barrier Reef was dying and then tried to cover-up the fact massive coral bleaching had happened on their watch. The problem in Tasmania was a few ENGO groups like the Wilderness Society got far too close to the logging industry during the 'forest peace deal'.  TWS actually traveled to Japan to promote veneers made by Asian Timber Mafia local franchisee 'Ta Ann Tasmania'.

by Helen Kempton
The authors of a report from an inquiry into donations to environmental organisations have been accused of seeking to silence dissent over mining and logging in areas of native forest.

Save the Tarkine said the authors of the majority report from the Standing Committee on the Environment’s inquiry into the Register of Environmental Organisations were seeking to silence advocates for the environment.

The group’s stance has been backed by the Environmental Defender’s Office and the Wilderness Society.

The federal parliamentary inquiry was set up by Environment Minister Greg Hunt last year on the back of Tasmanian MP Andrew Nikolic’s motion that green groups be stripped of their charitable tax status.

In its report, the parliamentary committee recommended environmental groups use at least 25 per cent of their public funds for environmental remediation work in order to qualify as a tax-deductible charity.

“The Liberal and National Party members of this committee seem to think that instead of being advocates and defenders of our natural environment, that we should instead provide janitorial services to those who damage and destroy it,” Save the Tarkine campaign co-ordinator Scott Jordan said.

“This is an attempt to subvert the focus of advocacy groups and silence dissent to native forest logging and mining industries.

“But not only would this recommendation divert time and resources from advocacy, but it would place advocacy groups at the mercy of mining companies and forestry agencies who control the leases and access to many degraded areas where rehabilitation activities might take place, while applying no controls to the tax deductibility of the political campaigning by these same corporates.”