While Opposition Leader Rene Hidding remains overseas, Mr Gutwein flagged his intention to push for a rethink of the party's policy, which currently mirrors the Government's approach to logging.
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The move is certain to put him at odds with his leader, who is due back tomorrow.
It will also be seen as an attempt by Mr Gutwein to position himself for a leadership challenge.
Mr Gutwein called for an immediate review "for the sake of all Tasmanians" of the party's stand on logging, urging his colleagues to support selective logging in old-growth areas. He applauded Mr Hidding's decision to invite both sides of the forestry debate to the recent Liberal State conference, but said the party needed to do more and should give the issue immediate priority.
"I work in Launceston but live in a rural area, and one of my major concerns for my electorate is that rural communities need to remain economically sustainable - and forestry is one of the industries they need to be able to rely upon," Mr Gutwein said.
"But if the forestry debate is left to run its current course, it could see more native forests locked up to the detriment of the industry, when what most people really want is an end to clearfelling of old- growth forests and better management of the resource base.
"This debate has relied for too long on arguments from either end of the spectrum, and the majority of people no longer know who or what to believe.
"It's time, for the sake of all Tasmanians, that the Liberal Party reviewed its position in consultation with all of the stakeholders.
"I will be proposing to my parliamentary colleagues that we develop a forest policy that, once a clear scientific definition of old-growth forests is agreed upon, limits the harvesting of these areas to selective logging only."
Mr Gutwein said discussions with members of the forest industry, the local community and the Liberal Party had led him to believe there was strong support for his suggestions.
"The industry lobby groups need to speak with the contractors on the ground, as all is not rosy in the forest industry in Tasmania," he said.
Mr Gutwein helped to implement the Regional Forest Agreement when he worked for former Tasmanian Liberal Senator Jocelyn Newman in 1997. He said he still supported the RFA but it was only a resource agreement, not a harvesting agreement.
"The RFA, in simple terms, outlines what forests can or cannot be logged. It doesn't specify whether coupes should be clearfelled or selectively logged," he said.
"It's this distinction that I'm most concerned about."
A feature of Mr Hidding's leadership is his support for the RFA and his approval of the Government's forest policies, which include the clearfelling of old- growth forests.
Since the State election in July, Mr Hidding has been at pains to distance himself from former Liberal leader Bob Cheek, who, in a last-ditch attempt to snatch the Greens' vote, called for a loosening of the party's forestry policy.
Mr Cheek lost his seat and the Liberals suffered a devastating defeat, being reduced to seven MHAs.
Mr Gutwein called for an immediate review "for the sake of all Tasmanians" of the party's stand on logging, urging his colleagues to support selective logging in old-growth areas. Mr Gutwein applauded Mr Hidding's decision to invite both sides of the forestry debate to the recent Liberal State conference, but said the party needed to do more and should give the issue immediate priority.
"I work in Launceston but live in a rural area, and one of my major concerns for my electorate is that rural communities need to remain economically sustainable - and forestry is one of the industries they need to be able to rely upon," Mr Gutwein said.
"But if the forestry debate is left to run its current course, it could see more native forests locked up to the detriment of the industry, when what most people really want is an end to clearfelling of old- growth forests and better management of the resource base.
"This debate has relied for too long on arguments from either end of the spectrum, and the majority of people no longer know who or what to believe.
"It's time, for the sake of all Tasmanians, that the Liberal Party reviewed its position in consultation with all of the stakeholders.
"I will be proposing to my parliamentary colleagues that we develop a forest policy that, once a clear scientific definition of old-growth forests is agreed upon, limits the harvesting of these areas to selective logging only."
Mr Gutwein said discussions with members of the forest industry, the local community and the Liberal Party had led him to believe there was strong support for his suggestions.
"The industry lobby groups need to speak with the contractors on the ground, as all is not rosy in the forest industry in Tasmania," he said.
Mr Gutwein helped to implement the Regional Forest Agreement when he worked for former Tasmanian Liberal Senator Jocelyn Newman in 1997. He said he still supported the RFA but it was only a resource agreement, not a harvesting agreement.
"The RFA, in simple terms, outlines what forests can or cannot be logged. It doesn't specify whether coupes should be clearfelled or selectively logged," he said.
"It's this distinction that I'm most concerned about."
A feature of Mr Hidding's leadership is his support for the RFA and his approval of the Government's forest policies, which include the clearfelling of old- growth forests.
Since the State election in July, Mr Hidding has been at pains to distance himself from former Liberal leader Bob Cheek, who, in a last-ditch attempt to snatch the Greens' vote, called for a loosening of the party's forestry policy.
Mr Cheek lost his seat and the Liberals suffered a devastating defeat, being reduced to seven MHAs.
