Tasmania politics: Greens express anger over ‘wholesale slaughter’ of native species

A Greens MP has spoken out on the issue of culling of Tasmanian wildlife under crop protection permits.

Rosalie Woodruff during Question Time on Thursday morning. Picture: RICHARD JUPE

REVELATIONS of culling rates of Tasmanian wildlife since 2015 were strongly debated in state parliament this morning.

During Question Time, Greens MP Rosalie Woodruff quizzed the government over the killing of native animals through crop protection permits.

Dr Woodruff referred to a Right to Information request made by the Mercury that revealed 1.857 million possums and wallabies had been culled in the past 4 ½ years.

Dr Woodruff said the government had a “contemptuous attitude to wildlife protection”, saying it had gutted the threatened species unit.

MORE:

PERMITS ALLOW HUGE NUMBER OF ANIMALS TO BE CULLED

REVEALED: SHOCK NUMBER OF WILDLIFE CULL PERMITS

While directing the question to Environment Minister Peter Gutwein, speaker Sue Hickey allowed Primary Industries Minister Guy Barnett to answer.

Mr Barnett said it was important to get the balance right between protecting Tasmania’s wildlife and considering the impact on the agricultural sector.

Guy Barnett.

Dr Woodruff also referenced news of more than 170 little penguins killed in dog attacks on the North-West Coast in the past year.

ANOTHER 34 LITTLE PENGUINS KILLED ON BEACH

She claimed the penguin taskforce was poorly funded and did not have the power to take action to protect the animals, saying tougher measures were needed to protect the penguins.

Mr Barnett said the government had announced in June it was reviewing the Dog Control Act with a view to strengthening the laws to protect wildlife, including penguins.

“You are killing our native animals,” Dr Woodruff said, as she was given her third warning and was ejected from the chamber by Ms Hickey.