Media Release Wednesday 14 October, 2009
Illegal Logging Assessment Counts Corruption as a Benefit
The Australian Government could be guilty of turning a blind eye to illegal logging imports if it adopts
recommendations from a recently commissioned economic assessment.
The Justice and International Mission Unit (JIM), the social justice arm of the Uniting Church in Victoria and
Tasmania, is deeply disturbed by an economic assessment done for the Federal Government on restricting the sale
of illegally logged timber has counted corruption in the timber industry as an economic positive.
The assessment produced by the Centre for International Economics (CIE) counts any reduction in price to
consumers and any increase in profit to producers – as a result of bribery and other criminal activity in the global
forestry industry – as an economic benefit.
Director of JIM, Dr Mark Zirnsak, said the assessment was an amoral economic analysis and devoid of any ethical
consideration.
“The Government needs to reject this flawed economic analysis that assesses corruption as an economic positive.
“The Australian Government refusing to take any regulatory action to address illegal logging would send a clear
signal that it is not committed to the fight against corruption globally,” Dr Zirnsak said.
The report makes no mention of any of the obligations Australia has voluntarily taken on to address corruption
through international treaties.
Australia is party to the UN Convention Against Corruption, the UN Convention against Transnational Organised
Crime and the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business
Transactions.
Through these treaties Australia has agreed to take action to address corruption generally, including bribery and
dealing with the proceeds of crime, into which timber produced through criminal activity would fall. A recent
assessment of countries compliance to the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in
International Business Transactions by Transparency International found Australia was among those countries
failing to fully live up to their commitments under the treaty.
Media Comment - Dr Mark Zirnsak, 0409 166 915 or 9251 5265
NEWS 
