Joel Fitzgibbon
The Australian Forest Products Association (AFPA) has welcomed Federal Labor’s new shadow ministry, announced by Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese earlier this week. The announcement included the appointment of Joel Fitzgibbon to the agriculture portfolio and Mark Butler remaining with climate change and energy. Source: Timberbiz
“AFPA has a good working relationship with Joel Fitzgibbon and it’s pleasing to see him reappointed to the agriculture portfolio. Likewise, we welcome Mark Butler’s reappointment in the climate change and energy portfolios, while we also look forward to working with Terri Butler who assumes new responsibility in the environment portfolio,” Chief Executive Officer of AFPA, Mr Ross Hampton said.
“A strongly performing Parliament and Government, in many ways is reliant on a strongly performing Opposition. AFPA will work with the relevant shadow ministers to ensure the needs of Australia’s forest industries are duly considered in national debate and policy development.
“Tens of thousands of Australians rely on forest industries to draw an income and the Opposition needs to take as strong an interest as the Government in making sure our industries thrive into the future, by putting ideas on the table to meet the challenges our industries face with regards to timber supply, energy costs and infrastructure.
“Last year the Coalition Government launched a new National Forest Industries Plan which committed to planting one billion new trees ‘in the right places, at the right scale’. The Opposition should keep the pressure on the Government to ensure it delivers.
“AFPA will meet with all relevant shadow ministers as soon as possible,” Mr Hampton concluded.
A full list of members of the Shadow Ministry is at www.directory.gov.au/commonwealth-parliament/shadow-ministers
