Forestry
March 19, 2009 2:17 PM
By Jim Hume MSP
By Jim Hume MSP
Thank you, presiding officer.
Needless to say I'm delighted to take part in this debate, which highlights the success of the LibDem led campaign to save our forests.
Excellent timing by Roseanna Cunningham to announce the u-turn on the morning of the already upbeat LibDem conference, so thanks for that.
What we witnessed in the last few months was not about "new inventive ideas to tackle climate change"; nor was it about being "creative" - phrases that were repeatedly drummed into us. But rather, a brazen and reckless attempt to undermine one of Scotland's most vaulable assets by selling it off to the highest bidder.
Consistently throughout this whole discussion, the Government resorted to petty, childish and personalised attacks on the Liberal Democrat campaign; and effectively treated industry ,individuals and organisations - indeed anyone who disagreed with their "great proposal" as it was so called - was treated with contempt. Mike Russell even accusing a FC union rep of being "theatrical" when I led a delegation to Silvan house.
Such an attitude from a government minister is shocking, but when you consider the potential impacts such a move could have had on Scotland and the scale of what was being proposed, it was sheer arrogance to assume that it could be pushed through parliament, piggy backed onto the simplistic idea that it would solve all our climate change problems.
Throughout the debate in January Mr Russell accused the liberal democrat contribution and response to the consultation of being "fact free". He said that, and I quote, "there is nothing so dishonourable as politicians who don't do their homework while confidently trotting out wildly inaccurate statements for political benefit". Well the liberal democrat response has proven to be entirely accurate and has at every stage reflected the views of land based organisations, tourist providers, foresters and wood processors - all these businesses have been in a serious limbo since last November - due to the Govts mad proposal and due to the Tories not standing up against this proposal earlier - they only doing there u-turn after their SNP masters.
Mike Russell ignored everyone; decried their expertise; and palmed them off as scaremongers who didn't do their homework. What arrogance and ignorance !
Throughout the debate references were made to the stern report. BUT NOWHERE in that document did Lord Stern conclude that 100,000 hectares of Scotland's most commercially viable forests should be sold off for a notional sum of up to £200 million to the Rothschild banking group for 75 years
In that same debate, Mike Russell pronounced in prophetic fashion that "although leasing is not a new idea, it's time has come". Well, its time had come - its time to be buried with all of the SNP's other misguided flights of fancy.
Who'd have thought that within a month Mr Russell would be removed from his minister's position obviously for flogging this dead horse.
I do welcome the new minister's u-turn - even though Ms Cunningham had thought the leasing proposal a "cunning Plan" in the January debate - I'm sincerely relieved that sense has prevailed, removing the guillotine of uncertainty hanging over rural communities, that can now go ahead and invest for the future.
{We now have an opportunity to take forward sensible measures under the stewardship of the Forestry Commission which will generate income for renewables; access and tourism; and new tree planting and guarantee wood supply for our businesses.}
The government should now concentrate on doing their best for Scotland through real and tangible measures to tackle climate change.
I move my amendment on behalf of the liberal democrats.
Thank you.
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