It is Japanese whalers who should be facing charges under Australian law for endangering lives, not Sea Shepherd captain Pete Bethune said Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown.
“It is absolutely unjust that Captain Pete Bethune is facing up to 15 years in prison in Japan,” said Senator Brown.
“Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Foreign Minister Stephen Smith cannot remain silent on this case any longer.
“The Australian Federal Police are investigating an official complaint by Sea Shepherd regarding the ramming and sinking of the Ady Gil by Japanese whaling vessel Shonan Maru 2.
“Under Australian law the captain of the Shonan Maru 2 should be tried and face life imprisonment for his actions, which endangered the lives of six people.
“New Zealand police are investigating a similar complaint under New Zealand law.
Senator Brown wrote again to Foreign Minister Stephen Smith yesterday calling for the Australian Government to do all it can to assist the investigations of the Australian Federal Police.
Responding to news that the New Zealand’s whaling commissioner has decided to support a compromise deal at the International Whaling Commission that will allow whales to be killed, Senator Brown said New Zealand were completely out of touch with public sentiment.
“Like Japan, the New Zealand Government now has whale blood on their hands.”
Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown believes at least five federal police officers boarded the Sea Shepherd’s anti-whaling ship the Steve Irwin when it docked at Hobart at 8.30am Saturday.
Senator Brown said he had been informed by the Australian Federal Police that they executed a search warrant at the request of Japanese authorities in Tokyo.
“This is outrageous that Australian police are at the disposal of the Japanese whale killers,” Senator Brown said.
The Sea Shepherd’s other anti-whaling ship the Bob Barker docked in Hobart late Saturday.
Tasmanian Liberal Senator Eric Abetz today voted with the Government to block debate on his own bill to stop Australian companies aiding or abetting the slaughter of whales by the Japanese whaling fleet.
The Prohibition of Support for Whaling Bill was devised by Greens Senator Rachel Siewert after Japanese whalers chartered planes out of Hobart and Albany to spy on Sea Shepherd ships going to obstruct whaling. Senator Abetz then asked Senator Siewert if he could co-host the bill.
Opposition spokesperson Greg Hunt called on the Government to support the bill this week.
But today Senator Abetz did a back-flip to join the Government in blocking the debate.
“Senator Abetz first reacted to back the huge feeling against whalers in Australia but has back-flipped on direction from the Abbot leadership,” Senator Brown said.
A recent poll showed 94% of Australians oppose Japanese whaling.
“When push comes to shove, the Abbott opposition is every bit as weak as the Rudd Government on whaling,” Senator Brown said.
Senator Nick Xenophon supported debate on the bill.
The Rudd Government’s decision to turn its back on the “whale war” in Australian Antarctic waters is irresponsible, Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown said today 7 February 2010.
“The collision of a Japanese whaling ship and the Sea Shepherd vessel Bob Barker shows as much courage by Sea Shepherd as it does diplomatic cowardice by Canberra,” said Senator Brown.
“The Prime Minister should dispatch a naval vessel to keep the peace.
“Naval surveillance would raise the prospect of the whale killing season ending, without people being killed as well,” Senator Brown said.
Whales bring thousands of visitors and hundreds of jobs to the Wide Bay Electorate
How many more whales have to die before the Government makes up its mind if it is going to take legal action against Japan, asked the Australian Greens today.
“Mr Rudd’s threats to take legal action are laughable, unless he has the will to put them into action – his Government has been using the same lines for the last two seasons just as the Coalition did before them, and Australians don’t believe him” said Australian Greens marine spokesperson Senator Rachel Siewert.
“Mr Rudd has confirmed there are no plans to use Australian boats to monitor whaling this season, as their only purpose was to gather evidence to support a future court case. That was two years ago – and what has been accomplished in that time?”
“The Prime Minister Rudd must raise the issue of whaling when he meets the Japanese Prime Minister next week. If he fails to resolve the issue next week with the Japanese Prime Minister, he should commence legal action in the international courts immediately,” said Senator Siewert.
“Negotiations between Australia’s Environment Minister, Whale Envoy and the Japanese Government have achieved nothing – as evident when we see the Japanese whaling fleet heading back out into the Southern Ocean.”
“We cannot wait until the next International Whaling Commission meeting in mid 2010 to take action on Japanese whaling – that is after the current whaling season and hundreds of whales will be slaughtered while the Australian Government dithers.”
“The Japanese plan to take nearly 1000 minke whales and 50 fin whales in their hunt this season. The only thing standing in the way of that quota is the Sea Shepherd, who again will be on the seas alone,” she concluded.
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"No world leader can ignore the planet's population burden. There were 3 billion people when Kevin Rudd was born. There are 6.8 billion now. There will be 9 billion by mid-century. This population boom is not economic wisdom, it is a recipe for planetary exhaustion and great human tragedy."
Bob Brown, September 2009
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