184 HYPOCRISY OF GREEN GROUPS: BAIN

Robert Bain, executive director, National Association of Forest Industries Ltd,  The Age (letter), 21/4/99



In labelling the response of the National Association of Forest Industries to the book Forest Friendly Building Timbers as heavy handed (Opinion, 12/4), Claire Miller has ignored the deceitful, misleading and unscientific nature of the contents of the book, and the highly undesirable consequences of giving wrong information to consumers.

The provision of bogus information, like promoting quack medical cures, only serves to worsen the situation for consumers trying to make intelligent choices.  Claims by the extreme green groups that the forest industries engaged in intimidating behavior on this issue is rank hypocrisy.

In recent months the green extremists have engaged in pickets, boycotts, blockades, industry disruption and vilification of firms and associations. Nothing that the forest industry has ever said and done comes within a mile of the tactics adopted by the extreme greens.   Has anybody from the green movement woken up in the morning in a remote location to find their house surrounded by people chanting and yelling? Frequently green intimidation is directed at the lowest-paid workers in the industry who are least able to defend themselves.

Claire Miller should recognise that the "hip pocket" that is hurt is not the hip pocket of the major hardware companies, it is the hip pocket of country families who find themselves on the dole.