Bob Brown urges Greens to punish Labor at election if Albanese amends law to protect salmon farming

Bob Brown has accused Labor and the Coalition of being in recent ‘lockstep’ on coalmines, gas fracking, forest logging and now industrial fish farms. Photograph: Andrew Wilson/The Guardian

Former Greens leader Bob Brown has urged the minor party not to preference Labor ahead of the Liberal party in Tasmanian seats at the upcoming election if the Albanese government legislates to effectively exempt salmon farming from national environment laws.

Conservationists have sharply criticised Anthony Albanese’s pledge that he will rush through legislation next week to protect the salmon industry in Macquarie Harbour, on the state’s west coast, from the potential results of a long-running legal review.