11 August 2010

Peter Garrett
Federal Member for Kingsford Smith
Minister for Environment Protection, Heritage and the Arts

The Coalition announcement today continues their tradition of releasing half-baked policies when it comes to whales and dolphins, with constant flip flopping and a casual approach to the protection of whales Mr Garrett said.

Australia already has a world-leading response capacity to assist beached or entangled whales. States like Tasmania - where more than 80 per cent of Australian whale standings occur - have some of the nation’s most experienced and well equipped whale stranding response teams.

“Greg Hunt would say anything for a headline, and once again he’s got it wrong.  He completely ignores the fact that there are already well-established networks in place in each State to coordinate trained personnel and equipment to respond to stranding events,” Mr Garrett said.

Mr Hunt has further demonstrated the utter chaos and confusion with the Party’s approach to legal action.

“In August last year we had the spectacle of Mr Hunt demanding the Government take international legal action. Then in January this year Mr Abbott said legal action was not Coalition policy, and then in May we had some strange bob-each-way hybrid: who knows where they really stand and what the gospel truth is?” Mr Garrett said.

The Federal Labor Government has delivered at every step on our commitments in this area.

Since 2007 we have:

• Undertaken monitoring of the Japanese whaling fleet in the Southern Ocean in 2008.
• Announced $32 million over the next five years for non-lethal whale research and other marine mammal conservation initiatives.
• Undertaken unprecedented diplomatic discussions for international support for Australia’s reform agenda.
• Vigorously pursued reform of the International Whaling Commission.
• Advanced our own proposal on the future of the IWC, including the complete phasing out of whaling in the Southern Ocean, an end to whaling in all sanctuaries, an immediate reduction to zero in the take of vulnerable species and populations and the use of IWC-agreed scientific procedures to underpin critical decisions.
• Initiated legal action against Japan’s so called ‘scientific’ program in the International Court of Justice, with both Australia and Japan agreeing that the legal action should not have a negative impact on the rest of this important bilateral relationship.
• Boosted protection for whales and dolphins by working with states towards establishing a network of whale and dolphin sanctuaries across Australia and identifying biologically important areas for cetaceans in Commonwealth waters as part of Marine Bioregional Planning.
  

“Our actions stand in stark contrast to the previous Coalition government’s approach on this issue, which saw a doubling in the number of whales targeted in the Southern Ocean and a wrist band campaign,” Mr Garrett said.

COMMUNICATIONS UNIT: Phone: (02) 9384 2220 | Fax: (02) 9264 2213 | www.alp.org.au AUTHORISED N.MARTIN for the ALP, 5/9 Sydney Ave. Barton ACT.

ATTACHMENT: COALITION QUOTES

Last year we had the spectacle of Mr Hunt demanding the Government take international legal action in August:

‘‘We think Australia should put together a coalition of nations to proceed legally against Japan under the International Law of the Sea.’’
Greg Hunt, The Age, August 4, 2009

Then in January this year Mr Abbott said legal action was not Coalition policy:

"Coalition policy is not to take Japan to the international court. We are against whaling, but we wouldn’t seek to advance [the cause] in that particular way.”
Tony Abbott, The Age, 12 January 2010

And then we had a strange bob-each-way hybrid:
JOURNALIST: But that’s a loose term. If you were in government, would you take Japan to the international court or not?
 
ABBOTT: If we were in government we’d be able to see the legal advice, and as I said, we support appropriate and effective action at international tribunals.

JOURNALIST: So, you’re waiting to see more details before you’ll say whether or not you’ll support this case?

ABBOTT: What I’m saying is that we support appropriate and effective action in international tribunals.
Tony Abbott, Sydney press conference, Friday May 28, 2010

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