As a Tasmanian ALP member associated with the timber industry and a participant in the arts-based Special Timbers manufacturing sector, I am concerned about a number of clauses in the Draft National Platform, and I am seeking for some to withdrawn, not put, or at the very least voted down. I list and discuss these below.

I am disturbed by what appears to be a line of influence into the party by the Greens, and The Wilderness Society in particular, and this appears to be through the new organisation known as LEAN. See http://www.lean.net.au/

I am concerned that little is widely known about the National Convenor of Lean, Felicity Wade, or her background, but I am very concerned that she and others seem to have extraordinary access to and influence over the new National President and Shadow Minister for the Environment, Mark Butler. Others are also on board, including Tony Burke, and new senator and immediate past National President Jenny McAllister.

Felicity Wade is only a relatively recently signed member of the party, and she was once a member of the Greens. She was also the NSW Campaign Director for The Wilderness Society for more than a decade, and is the partner and has children with the National Director of The Wilderness Society. See: http://www.smh.com.au/environment/wilderness-society-advocate-seeks-alp-preselection-20131108-2x6tv.html

The Wilderness Society is the sworn enemy of the timber industry, and has done enormous damage to the industry across the whole country, causing many job losses, nowhere more so than in Tasmania. They have engaged in protests, market campaigns and shut-downs, often in a manner that is illegal, and they have acted dishonestly and have deceived state and federal governments as well as international agencies, such as the World Heritage Committee.

The Wilderness Society deliberately deceived the Tasmanian Labor government during the TFA process, particularly by putting up Contingency Coupes for Special Timbers that they knew had nothing in them, and in some cases areas that had been recently harvested and re-sown with Eucalypt! This caused the then Premier and Resources Minister to effectively mislead the Tasmanian parliament! They have also deliberately and dishonestly used World Heritage Area extension nominations as a weapon against the timber industry in a manner that abused proper process and avoided effective scrutiny that would have rejected the proposal. This has caused embarrassment to UNESCO, the World Heritage Centre and the IUCN as they have come to realize what TWS and their associates did.

Labor needs to do more to re-connect with its traditional support base, and to understand why so many abandoned the party as a task in the process of working out how to bring them back. Labor needs to work out how to steal regional seats off the Liberals. Labor does not need to worry about capturing the Greens vote or Greens preferences in urban areas, all that does is further alienate the traditional vote, and who else would the Greens give second preferences to anyway? Labor should chase votes where it needs them, and not chase them where it doesnt!

ALP Draft National Platform: Clauses of concern.

4.9 Labor recognises and supports the passion of local environment conservation groups and the invaluable contribution they make to protecting and preserving Australias environment. These groups play an important role in mobilising government action on local environmental issues and are critical, active participants in broader national conversations on issues such as climate change.

You have got to be joking! Take that out. Have you ever noticed that of all the federal electorates where the timber industry is significant, virtually none have ALP members, and where they do it is because they also include suburbs of a metropolitan area, such as in Franklin in Tasmania.

4.11 Labor will deliver a robust and integrated system of environmental management. Labor will develop improved environmental law to build on Australias best-practice environmental governance. It will reflect Australians expectations that environmental protection is essential and ensure an effective and efficient national approach to the management of matters of national environmental significance.

Not if it is used to further restrict the timber industry! You cannot administer a production forest as if it were a National Park, just as you cannot administer a National Park as if it were a production forest. You have to accept some land management realities!

4.33 The national government has an enduring responsibility to protect matters of national environmental significance. Labor has a proud history of national environmental protection laws. These have been instrumental in protecting Australias greatest natural treasures for decades. Labor will not support handing approval powers under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Act 1999 to state and territory governments.

States must retain the right to administer land use, and they already adequately administer the EPBC Act. Protect the states from any more political stunts, especially those like the misguided attempt to farm Greens preferences in metropolitan Sydney in recent years.

4.35 Labor will consider the appropriateness of a climate change trigger in the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Act 1999 and or successive framework, in the context of a comprehensive response to climate change. Labor will consider the appropriateness of a trigger to cover Australias system of national parks.

Ditto.... You have got to be joking...!

4.36 Australia has international obligations to protected World Heritage Areas, and areas subject to international treaties such as Ramsar sites. Human activity such as mining and oil drilling, as well as urban and commercial developments near World Heritage Areas, Ramsar and similar sites, can affect these areas. Labor will ensure any proposal within the vicinity of a World Heritage Area, Ramsar or area subject to an international treaty, is subject to a full independent Environmental Impact Statement, and is considered under environment protections and biodiversity conservation legislation.

You have absolutely got to be joking! As an example, previously the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area was well insulated by a buffer zone of state forest, but the dishonest and corrupt 2013 extension brought it right up to the freehold boundaries of 1030 Tasmanian property owners, and without proper consultation or effective opportunity to object, as well as abusing so many other protocols and aspects of procedure. This is one extra reason why Labor will probably not win the seat of Lyons at the next federal election. Now these property owners not only have implications against what they can do on their own land, they are looking across the fence at the direction the fire weather comes, and worry about a new management regime (or lack of one!) that puts their lives and property in danger. Good one... take it out!

4.37 The federal government is responsible to provide adequate heritage protection for Commonwealth properties of heritage significance. Our World Heritage Areas require coordinated management. Accordingly Labor will work with the States and Territories to better governance structures and management programs.

Yeah, but to what end?

4.38 Labor will support the investigation and nomination of areas suitable for future listing in cooperation with traditional owners, state and territory governments and other stakeholders.

You have got to be bloody joking! If the UN, UNESCO, the WHC, IUCN and ICOMOS havent got it right after more than 30 years, there must be something wrong with their processes. No more nominations, especially if they have not been approved by the state parliament in which

the site is located, if it is not on the Indicative List, and if it has not been fully assessed, (no shortcuts!), and if it has not been carried by the Australian parliament.

4.40 Labor does not support mining or other resource extraction in national parks and World Heritage areas.

Do not support this. It is possibly contrary to a policy position that is about to be announced by the Tasmanian Labor opposition, and contrary to the Draft Management Plan for the TWWHA that is currently being assessed, including by order of the World Heritage Committee. There are areas of the Special Timbers Zone that were included in the 2013 WHA extension for which current land use law and reserves classification permits selective harvesting for Special Timbers, and this can occur within the resource use guidelines of the IUCN (Use Classes V and VI) and the WHC.

4.45 Labor will work with state and territory governments and landholders to develop, resource and implement threat abatement and recovery plans for threatened species and ecological communities, while preventing clearing that will have a significant impact on threatened ecological communities and critical habitats for threatened species.

Such things have already gone too far in some circumstances. Sure, resources should be available, but so should proper evaluation, broad consultation, and adequate compensation.

4.53 Labor will support the advocacy and action of non-government and community organisations to protect our environment and heritage.

Over my dead body! You have absolutely, utterly, totally and completely got to be joking...!

4.91 Protecting the global environment is a vital foreign policy objective, as environmental degradation contributes to social and political conflict and undermines regional and international security.

If this is anything like preventing other countries, especially those in states of poverty from engaging in agriculture for cash crops, such as palm oil plantations, then it is misguided and unjust. Helping them make correct and informed choices appropriate to their circumstances and assisting them to implement them would be far better.

4.93 Existing international environmental protection regimes need to be strengthened and new arrangements developed to address emerging issues. Labor will lead in multilateral forums that consider issues of environmental protection and sustainable development.

Ditto...