Too much forest? Get real Mr Abbott

The Australian Greens say Tony Abbott's claim that Australia has too much protected forest is wrong and will concern Australians who treasure our precious national parks and forests.

"Families and communities treasure our national parks. Tony Abbott is completely out of touch," Greens Leader Christine Milne said.

"Tony Abbott's anti-environment agenda is also anti-jobs. There is no economic future for Australia in trashing our precious native forests and national parks.

"There are more jobs and opportunities in conserving native forests than there are in cutting them down and shipping them away.

"Who in the 21st century would say the environment is meant for man and not just the other way around? Get real Mr Abbott. We have no future without environmental protection.

"The Abbott government needs to keep its hands off the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area and abandon its backward attempt to remove 74,000 hectares from UN protection.

"Queensland Premier Campbell Newman has already flagged logging in national parks and Tony Abbott is giving a green light for other states to follow.

"Instead of attacking national parks we need to secure more habitat for our critically endangered species.

"In pandering to the forestry industry the Prime Minister's statements last night reveal he's not only anti-environment and anti-conservation, he's anti-jobs."