Clark Clearfells Sutton- Labour Leadership Unsustainable
Food and Fibre Minister John Luxton said today that the resignation of Jim Sutton as Labour's Forestry spokesperson
highlights the deep division in the Labour Party.
"The cracks in Labour are beginning to show. There is a clear rift in the Labour ranks between the productive sector and
the environmental lobby and now the secret is out. While Helen Clark has tried to paper over the ideological cracks in
her party, the split between the left and right wing factions continues. You only have to look at Labour's meltdown in
the late 80's for evidence of that."
"Helen Clark has now decided unilaterally to break the West Coast Accord and ban all indigenous logging on Crown land.
This shows just how impractical and out of touch with West Coast people Labour really are."
The resignation of Jim Sutton comes hot on the heels of yesterday's damning comments in the Christchurch Press where
Labour's West-Coast Tasman Electorate Chair blasted Helen Clark and I quote: "I think the party want to forget about us
here on the Coast. Leader Helen Clark is completely ignoring us. We've heard nothing from her in a long time."
"Today buried in the middle of APEC, Labour has finally released a statement that is so unpalatable even to it's own
spokesperson that he has done the only honourable thing and resigned. As a long term and committed advocate of
sustainability, clearly Jim Sutton has been over-ruled by Labour's academic wing."
"It's no wonder Jim Sutton couldn't promote the new policy with either sincerity or conviction because it is so
completely at odds with the sustainable management policy of Labour's Primary Industries Council. To ignore the wishes
of Labour's rural wing is further evidence that the urban-dominated academics rule the roost."
"Unlike Labour, National is committed to the future prosperity of the forestry sector. New Zealand's future is in
sustainable jobs and sustainable forests."
ENDS