Question Re: Australia threatens Japan over whaling

[Number9Dream]

Question for our Australian friends... Do you think this is just another idle threat, or will the Rudd government finally do something?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/as_australia_japan_whaling

[Matilda]

1. It's interesting in that the comment has come from Rudd himself,

and not one of his ministers. The then shadow Attorney-General
promised action against Japan during the last election campaign, then
after the election, the Government stood by during last year's whaling
season and let Sea Shepherd make all the running.

But now Rudd's in a bit of trouble with his ETS bill to tackle climate
change - nobody understands how it will work, and there is now a
growing body of sceptics undermining its popularity as a campaign
winner in the run-up to next year's Federal election; a situation being
fully exploited by the Liberal leader Tony Abbott.

So he needs to do something that will be electorally popular, and
whaling raises a lot of passions, so he just might mean what he says.

I hope he does; Japan's whaling program is inhumane and unjustifiable,
not to mention it's right in our back yard. I think Rudd's polls would
take a jump upwards again if he took on Japan on this issue.

[Number9Dream]

2. Thanks & Sir Anthony Hopkins speaks out for whales

Thank you very much for replying. It was great to get an Australian's view on this subject. Many of us in the U.S. would love to see the Japanese driven from the whale sanctuaries. Are Bindi Irwin and mom still vocal regarding whale protection?

Sir Anthony Hopkins speaks out for whales:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViCNl6vLH1g

[Matilda]

3. I don't know about the Irwins,

but things will be hotting up soon. I saw that two Sea Shepherd boats
have sailed for the Antarctic last week.

It's time Australia did something.

[Matilda]

4. After this morning's incident with the 'Ady Gil',

both Australian and New Zealand governments are tying themselves in knots trying not to become involved. Yes, we
know all about trade relations, but the Japanese are making Australia look impotent.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/01/07/2787014.htm


Time to make another donation to Sea Shepherd.

[Violet_Crumble]

6. I saw something interesting at news.com today...

In a thread about the Ady Gil, suddenly there were a string of comments coming from people who said their location was Canberra and each of them were posting similar short one-liners attacking anyone opposed to whaling, I was sitting here in Canberra scratching my head in amazement coz living in this town of pretty left-wing people, I've yet to meet anyone who isn't strong in their opposition to whaling. I sometimes scoff at claims of paid hacks posting, but in this case I really had to wonder if it was happening as I'd be really surprised if they were fellow Canberrans posting...

[Matilda]

7. Cast your mind back to the 2000 Olympics.

Remember when the torch arrived, and there were Chinese involved, because Beijing was next city on the list. There
were protests because of the continuing Chinese crackdowns on dissidents, and suddenly there were Chinese students
appearing everywhere, praising China to the skies. There could be no doubt they were either paid or more likely in
their case, threatened.

I believe it happens.

[Violet_Crumble]

5. They better do something...

I remember the election promise about whaling and I want them held to it. Peter Garrett and his insipid words aren't good enough. They need to get tough with Japan and make it clear that they're going to react strongly in future...