FED: Campbell says Garrett will have to offer more than slogans

AAP General News (Australia)
12-11-2006
FED: Campbell says Garrett will have to offer more than slogans

SYDNEY, Dec 11 AAP - Federal Environment Minister Ian Campbell says new opposition
environment spokesman Peter Garrett will have to offer more than slogans if he is to challenge
the government's environmental record.

Mr Garrett was yesterday elevated to the environment portfolio as part of a frontbench
reshuffle by new leader Kevin Rudd.

The former president of the Australian Conservation Foundation was seen as an obvious
fit for the portfolio and is viewed by many to be fundamental to Labor's efforts to bring
the government to task over its environmental record.

But asked if he now expected a tougher opposition in parliament with Mr Garrett now
his opposite number, Senator Campbell challenged his Labor counterpart to provide policy,
substance and not environmental slogans.

"The challenge for Mr Garrett is to stop using slogans and to start doing some policy
work," he said.

"The Labor party hasn't had a real policy on climate change for the last decade, they've
just got away with slogans and I think that Australia in relation to the Murray River
deserves more than a slogan and so does climate change.

"The environment is too important for slogans."

AAP ab/kaj/klw/jt/de

KEYWORD: LABOR GARRETT CAMPBELL

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