The Greens expect a proposed bill requiring Australia to send a patrol boat to the Southern Ocean to monitor the activities of Japanese whalers could be passed by federal parliament in the next two months.

Party leader Bob Brown said on Thursday the Greens bill required the support of the coalition and independent MPs in the lower house to pass, before being rubber stamped by the Greens in the Senate.

"If the opposition takes the bill, and I am very happy to talk about amendments or changes that they may wish to make, it certainly will pass the Senate," Senator Brown told reporters in Hobart.

"It will take a couple of independents to ensure that it passes the house and we'd be well able to have this legislation go through in the months of February or March."

Senator Brown said if the bill was passed it would be too late to have any effect on this year's whale hunt by the Japanese.

"But it would ensure that there was a patrol boat with the authority of Australia in our Antarctic waters, if the Japanese come south again next season ... to engage in the slaughter of hundreds of these warm blooded mammals that Australians want to see protected.

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/8401953/greens-whale-patrol-bill-ready-to-go

Tokyo makes Canberra 'look ridiculous' after a

Japanese whale hunting ship ignored PM Gillard
TOKYO is making Canberra "look ridiculous," according to Greens Leader Bob Brown, after a Japanese whale hunting ship ignored Prime Minister Julia Gillard and returned inside Australian territorial waters.

Senator Brown told The Daily Telegraph Online that last night’s incursion by the Yushin Maru No. 3 into Australian waters was "very serious."

"It's international law-breaking and Tokyo is well aware that national law prohibits that harpoon ship from coming into our waters,” Senator Brown said.

"It's Tokyo making Canberra look ridiculous, and it has to be stopped. Japan doesn't run this country.”

The Yushin Maru No. 3 was roundly criticised early yesterday after it ventured into Australian territorial waters off the coast of Macquarie Island, 1500km south-east of Hobart.

Around lunch time yesterday Ms Gillard said the Federal Government had “reiterated” its view to the Japanese Government that “whaling vessels are not welcome in Australian territorial waters”.

"Now I’m aware that there has been on vessel which I’m advised has been in Australian territorial waters and I’m advised that it will leave Australian territorial waters,” Ms Gillard said yesterday.

"Now, it’s been a long standing view that whaling ships are not welcome in our waters, and we’ve said that to the Japanese Government before but we’ve reiterated it yesterday.”

But last night, around 10:50pm, in an effort to not lose sight of the Sea Shepherd anti-whaling vessel the Bob Barker, the whale hunter ventured back into Australian waters.

Bob Barker first officer, Peter Hammarstedt, told The Daily Telegraph Online the repeated incursion was a “slap in the face to Australia”.

"This year the whalers seem to be emboldened,” he said.

"I feel like they’re testing the resolve of Australia. The Prime Minister needs to act tough on these guys.”

The Yushin Maru No. 3 is this morning still shadowing the Bob Barker.

At 8am the Sea Shepherd ship was seven kilometres off the coast of Macquarie Island, while the Japanese vessel was hugging the edge of where Australia’s territorial waters begin, around 20km from the island’s coast.

Mr Hammarstedt the Yushin Maru No. 3 simply believed it could “enter Australia at will”.

"I think it’s time for the Prime Minister to stop talking tough, and doing something,” he said.

"This is just ridiculous. The Prime Minister of Australia asked these guys to leave, and within 12 hours they’re back. These guys on the Yushin Maru No. 3 should be led out of here in handcuffs.”

Senator Brown said the government should send either a customs or a naval vessel to the world heritage area to “assert Australian law”.

“This is an absolute sanctuary for our wildlife and this harpoon ship is sailing in and out as it wishes to,” he told The Daily Telegraph Online.

He said the whalers had become "more arrogant", and that the situation was "extremely embarrassing for the Prime Minister and Australia”.

"They’re testing Australian authority here - if they come back in again they should be arrested,” he said.

The government is yet to comment this morning on the Yushin Maru No. 3’s latest breach.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/tokyo-makes-canberra-look-ridiculous-after-a-japanese-whale-hunting-ship-ignored-pm-gillard/story-e6freuy9-1226242448008

Woopee

A bill to make a patrol boat go and watch the Japanese.

That's a big win eh?

Wonder what camera they will take with them when they take photos?
I wonder if the Japanese will smile and say cheese as they continue to whale in the Southern Ocean?

Andrei.Hicks wrote on Jan 12^th, 2012 at 10:50am:

Woopee A bill to make a patrol boat go and watch the Japanese. That's a big win eh? Wonder what camera they will take with them when they take photos? I wonder if the Japanese will smile and say cheese as they continue to whale in the Southern Ocean?

Now Australia can be serious about building a case against Japan over it's illegal activities in Australian and International Waters

Will conservatives side with the Greens, or the illegal Whalers. We already know ALP have sided with the illegal whalers. 

____ wrote on Jan 12^th, 2012 at 10:55am:

Andrei.Hicks wrote on Jan 12th, 2012 at 10:50am: Woopee A bill to make a patrol boat go and watch the Japanese. That's a big win eh? Wonder what camera they will take with them when they take photos? I wonder if the Japanese will smile and say cheese as they continue to whale in the Southern Ocean? Now Australia can be serious about building a case against Japan over it's illegal activities in Australian and International Waters Will conservatives side with the Greens, or the illegal Whalers. We already know ALP have sided with the illegal whalers.

I'll continue to side with Greenpeace on this issue who are working hard IN JAPAN with opposition groups to influence the Japanese to stop whaling.

Greenpeace have openly condemned Sea Shepherd for example and said their actions are not helpful to the cause and are an example of why Paul Watson was expelled in 1977.

Yet seashep has made headlines around the world and so have brought attention to the illegal activities of Japan's whale industry, and the ALP's complicity.

Seashep have an actual figure on the whales it saved last year. And for me, that means my minute financial donation is well worth repeating.

The activists last night deployed two ropes under the bow of the Yushin Maru No.2 in an attempt to entangle the ship's rudder and propeller, the Institute of Cetacean Research said.



"In addition, the activists threw more than 20 glass bottles containing butyric acid and paint," the ICR said in a statement. "Seven of these projectile bottles reached the deck of the Yushin Maru No.2.

http://www.smh.com.au/environment/whale-watch/activists-attack-harpoon-ship-whalers-20120112-1pwc1.html

These idiots will get someone killed....Lets hope is is not an innocent Japanese worker!!!

>:(

More reason to have an Australian ship down there observing and documenting actions on both sides don't you think Phil.


Perhaps more pressure should be applied from the few moderates left in the ALP, for the party to stop backing the illegal whalers and take a more neutral stance, and back the Greens' Bill. 


This way, when Japanese whalers enter Australian waters, we can arrest the captain and crew and confiscate the boat ... like we do for others that invade our waters.

philperth2010 wrote on Jan 12^th, 2012 at 2:14pm:

The activists last night deployed two ropes under the bow of the Yushin Maru No.2 in an attempt to entangle the ship's rudder and propeller, the Institute of Cetacean Research said. "In addition, the activists threw more than 20 glass bottles containing butyric acid and paint," the ICR said in a statement. "Seven of these projectile bottles reached the deck of the Yushin Maru No.2. http://www.smh.com.au/environment/whale-watch/activists-attack-harpoon-ship-whalers-20120112-1pwc1.html These idiots will get someone killed....Lets hope is is not an innocent Japanese worker!!! >:(

Shame Labor don't think this way with the children that work for the refugees from indonesia that come by boat.

Labor just dumps them into jail and throws away the keys. How many Indonesian children have Labor had in adult Australian prisons now for more than a year without charge?

Andrei.Hicks wrote on Jan 12^th, 2012 at 10:50am:

Woopee A bill to make a patrol boat go and watch the Japanese. That's a big win eh? Wonder what camera they will take with them when they take photos? I wonder if the Japanese will smile and say cheese as they continue to whale in the Southern Ocean?

WONDER IF THEY WILL SEND THE BILL TO THE GREENS....

a patrol boat someone give me strength...24/7..

OMG I bet the Japanese are shivering in their boots..

laughing at us!!!!   OF COURSE THEY ARE BLOODY LAUGHING AT US... BUT NOT BECAUSE OF WHAT YOU THINK.

____ wrote on Jan 12^th, 2012 at 2:24pm:

More reason to have an Australian ship down there observing and documenting actions on both sides don't you think Phil. Perhaps more pressure should be applied from the few moderates left in the ALP, for the party to stop backing the illegal whalers and take a more neutral stance, and back the Greens' Bill.  This way, when Japanese whalers enter Australian waters, we can arrest the captain and crew and confiscate the boat ... like we do for others that invade our waters.

;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D


like the boat people we now roll out the red carpet for you mean.... ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

excuse me I am going to be sick from laughing so much.


isnt this an ACT OF WAR one country boarding another countries vessels

cods wrote on Jan 12^th, 2012 at 2:36pm:

Andrei.Hicks wrote on Jan 12th, 2012 at 10:50am: Woopee A bill to make a patrol boat go and watch the Japanese. That's a big win eh? Wonder what camera they will take with them when they take photos? I wonder if the Japanese will smile and say cheese as they continue to whale in the Southern Ocean? WONDER IF THEY WILL SEND THE BILL TO THE GREENS.... a patrol boat someone give me strength...24/7.. OMG I bet the Japanese are shivering in their boots.. laughing at us!!!!   OF COURSE THEY ARE BLOODY LAUGHING AT US... BUT NOT BECAUSE OF WHAT YOU THINK.

If Greens pay for the whale boat, will the conservatives recoup Australians for the illegal invasions they help cause, compensate the families for the dead  and maimed members  because of their machinations, and pay compensation towards the 1,000,000 civilians dead?

Also will the conservatives pay to the Australian economy, the trillions in dollars they caused by ignoring the murray darling on their watch of 12 years.

Add to this, an advance payment on the financial cost of the catastrophic effect of coal seam gas, that Labor and Liberal want to inflict on all Australians just so they can remain the bitches of their pimps, the coal lobby.


Who should we send the bill to cods?

cods wrote on Jan 12^th, 2012 at 2:39pm:

____ wrote on Jan 12th, 2012 at 2:24pm: More reason to have an Australian ship down there observing and documenting actions on both sides don't you think Phil. Perhaps more pressure should be applied from the few moderates left in the ALP, for the party to stop backing the illegal whalers and take a more neutral stance, and back the Greens' Bill.  This way, when Japanese whalers enter Australian waters, we can arrest the captain and crew and confiscate the boat ... like we do for others that invade our waters. ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D like the boat people we now roll out the red carpet for you mean.... ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D excuse me I am going to be sick from laughing so much. isnt this an ACT OF WAR one country boarding another countries vessels

it is an act of war when an armed ship enters Australian waters illegally ... and when Australians defend Australia, the illegal boat abducts them and takes them from Australian territory.

This is an act of war ... an act you want to turn a blind eye to.


Shame Grey Rince Conservative, Shame.

The world faces economic upheaval and the Greens talk about whales. not protecting them of course but photgraphing them using (ironically) japanese cameras. What do you expect to prove? That the japanese kill whales? we already know that.

typical pointless idiotic peripheral issue greens.

Tell me Green why was boarding the Japanese ship by protestors not illegal???

:-?

____ wrote on Jan 12^th, 2012 at 3:53pm:

cods wrote on Jan 12th, 2012 at 2:36pm: Andrei.Hicks wrote on Jan 12th, 2012 at 10:50am: Woopee A bill to make a patrol boat go and watch the Japanese. That's a big win eh? Wonder what camera they will take with them when they take photos? I wonder if the Japanese will smile and say cheese as they continue to whale in the Southern Ocean? WONDER IF THEY WILL SEND THE BILL TO THE GREENS.... a patrol boat someone give me strength...24/7.. OMG I bet the Japanese are shivering in their boots.. laughing at us!!!!   OF COURSE THEY ARE BLOODY LAUGHING AT US... BUT NOT BECAUSE OF WHAT YOU THINK. If Greens pay for the whale boat, will the conservatives recoup Australians for the illegal invasions they help cause, compensate the families for the dead  and maimed members  because of their machinations, and pay compensation towards the 1,000,000 civilians dead? Also will the conservatives pay to the Australian economy, the trillions in dollars they caused by ignoring the murray darling on their watch of 12 years. Add to this, an advance payment on the financial cost of the catastrophic effect of coal seam gas, that Labor and Liberal want to inflict on all Australians just so they can remain the bitches of their pimps, the coal lobby. Who should we send the bill to cods?

we will deduct the cost of the carbon tax first, ok?

longweekend58 wrote on Jan 12^th, 2012 at 4:02pm:

The world faces economic upheaval and the Greens talk about whales. not protecting them of course but photgraphing them using (ironically) japanese cameras. What do you expect to prove? That the japanese kill whales? we already know that. typical pointless idiotic peripheral issue greens.

Where the conservatives would welcome Japan to speed the path down to full on human cannibalism.

By allowing Japan to undermine the whaling treaty, other nations will follow ... yet not just whales, next it will be dolphins sent to extinction,then Sharks ... and down the food chain until the only thing left to eat is humanity ... and so the total collapse of our civilisation and extinction of humanity.

This is no small time issue ... this is an issue of humanity's survival.


Grey rinse conservatives, along with hard right Labs, are selling their's and everyone else's children and their grandchildren short.

If we don't stand up to illegal whaling and win, we are defeated as a species.

philperth2010 wrote on Jan 12^th, 2012 at 4:07pm:

Tell me Green why was boarding the Japanese ship by protestors not illegal??? :-?

Because the boat was illegally in Australian waters.

If an armed Iranian boat entered Australian waters and Australians boarded to protect our sovereign, who would be the heros ... the illegal boat, or the Australians defending Australian interests?

____ wrote on Jan 12^th, 2012 at 4:20pm:

longweekend58 wrote on Jan 12th, 2012 at 4:02pm: The world faces economic upheaval and the Greens talk about whales. not protecting them of course but photgraphing them using (ironically) japanese cameras. What do you expect to prove? That the japanese kill whales? we already know that. typical pointless idiotic peripheral issue greens. Where the conservatives would welcome Japan to speed the path down to full on human cannibalism. By allowing Japan to undermine the whaling treaty, other nations will follow ... yet not just whales, next it will be dolphins sent to extinction,then Sharks ... and down the food chain until the only thing left to eat is humanity ... and so the total collapse of our civilisation and extinction of humanity. This is no small time issue ... this is an issue of humanity's survival. Grey rinse conservatives, along with hard right Labs, are selling their's and everyone else's children and their grandchildren short. If we don't stand up to illegal whaling and win, we are defeated as a species.

if anyone even thought you were serious about that post you would find yourself 'detained' for your own safety. I know most people think Greens are silly but do you have to confirm that that is a generous description?

____ wrote on Jan 12^th, 2012 at 4:24pm:

philperth2010 wrote on Jan 12th, 2012 at 4:07pm: Tell me Green why was boarding the Japanese ship by protestors not illegal??? :-? Because the boat was illegally in Australian waters. If an armed Iranian boat entered Australian waters and Australians boarded to protect our sovereign, who would be the heros ... the illegal boat, or the Australians defending Australian interests?

sigh... another post, another pile of green-wank. it wasnt in australian waters and even if it were that does not entitle anyone to board - only the legally authroised authorities.

you make snot look sentient.

longweekend58 wrote on Jan 12^th, 2012 at 4:11pm:

____ wrote on Jan 12th, 2012 at 3:53pm: cods wrote on Jan 12th, 2012 at 2:36pm: Andrei.Hicks wrote on Jan 12th, 2012 at 10:50am: Woopee A bill to make a patrol boat go and watch the Japanese. That's a big win eh? Wonder what camera they will take with them when they take photos? I wonder if the Japanese will smile and say cheese as they continue to whale in the Southern Ocean? WONDER IF THEY WILL SEND THE BILL TO THE GREENS.... a patrol boat someone give me strength...24/7.. OMG I bet the Japanese are shivering in their boots.. laughing at us!!!!   OF COURSE THEY ARE BLOODY LAUGHING AT US... BUT NOT BECAUSE OF WHAT YOU THINK. If Greens pay for the whale boat, will the conservatives recoup Australians for the illegal invasions they help cause, compensate the families for the dead  and maimed members  because of their machinations, and pay compensation towards the 1,000,000 civilians dead? Also will the conservatives pay to the Australian economy, the trillions in dollars they caused by ignoring the murray darling on their watch of 12 years. Add to this, an advance payment on the financial cost of the catastrophic effect of coal seam gas, that Labor and Liberal want to inflict on all Australians just so they can remain the bitches of their pimps, the coal lobby. Who should we send the bill to cods? we will deduct the cost of the carbon tax first, ok?

Is that before or after sewage and rubbish disposal costs are added.


Isn't it amazing, grey haired conservatives are more interested in maximising their revenue from their coal shares, than they are to cut our costs via sewage rates, garden waste and waste disposal of household rubbish.

How come you lot are silent on issues that could save all australians, heaps of dollars.

Is it because to be a grey haired conservative, you got to be selfish to the core?

____ wrote on Jan 12^th, 2012 at 4:24pm:

philperth2010 wrote on Jan 12th, 2012 at 4:07pm: Tell me Green why was boarding the Japanese ship by protestors not illegal??? :-? Because the boat was illegally in Australian waters. If an armed Iranian boat entered Australian waters and Australians boarded to protect our sovereign, who would be the heros ... the illegal boat, or the Australians defending Australian interests?

The Attorney-General dismissed Opposition suggestions the Government must demand the men be handed over to Australian authorities because the boarding of Shonan Maru 2 took place in Australian waters. She said both Sea Shepherd and the Japanese had confirmed the incident took place outside Australia's 12 nautical mile territorial limit.


Try again mate.....these protestors are not sanctioned to represent the Austalian Government and have no legal standing to demand anything!!!

::)

The most perfidious way of harming a cause consists of defending it deliberately with faulty arguments.
Friedrich Nietzsche (1844 - 1900), The Gay Science, section 191

longweekend58 wrote on Jan 12^th, 2012 at 4:24pm:

____ wrote on Jan 12th, 2012 at 4:20pm: longweekend58 wrote on Jan 12th, 2012 at 4:02pm: The world faces economic upheaval and the Greens talk about whales. not protecting them of course but photgraphing them using (ironically) japanese cameras. What do you expect to prove? That the japanese kill whales? we already know that. typical pointless idiotic peripheral issue greens. Where the conservatives would welcome Japan to speed the path down to full on human cannibalism. By allowing Japan to undermine the whaling treaty, other nations will follow ... yet not just whales, next it will be dolphins sent to extinction,then Sharks ... and down the food chain until the only thing left to eat is humanity ... and so the total collapse of our civilisation and extinction of humanity. This is no small time issue ... this is an issue of humanity's survival. Grey rinse conservatives, along with hard right Labs, are selling their's and everyone else's children and their grandchildren short. If we don't stand up to illegal whaling and win, we are defeated as a species. if anyone even thought you were serious about that post you would find yourself 'detained' for your own safety. I know most people think Greens are silly but do you have to confirm that that is a generous description?

When longweekend has no answer, he gets personal.

How do you stop other nations from sending other species extinct when you are not even interested in stopping the Japanese sending whales extinct.

When nations starts drag net harvesting of penguins from Australia's Antarctic territory, will grey rince conservatives and hard right labs ignore this too?

longweekend58 wrote on Jan 12^th, 2012 at 4:26pm:

____ wrote on Jan 12th, 2012 at 4:24pm: philperth2010 wrote on Jan 12th, 2012 at 4:07pm: Tell me Green why was boarding the Japanese ship by protestors not illegal??? :-? Because the boat was illegally in Australian waters. If an armed Iranian boat entered Australian waters and Australians boarded to protect our sovereign, who would be the heros ... the illegal boat, or the Australians defending Australian interests? sigh... another post, another pile of green-wank. it wasnt in australian waters and even if it were that does not entitle anyone to board - only the legally authroised authorities. you make snot look sentient.

Then if a boat load of terrorists where attacking Australia, Australians will not defend.

No wonder grey haired conservative can't even win a war with cave dwellers in Afghanistan.

philperth2010 wrote on Jan 12^th, 2012 at 4:32pm:

____ wrote on Jan 12th, 2012 at 4:24pm: philperth2010 wrote on Jan 12th, 2012 at 4:07pm: Tell me Green why was boarding the Japanese ship by protestors not illegal??? :-? Because the boat was illegally in Australian waters. If an armed Iranian boat entered Australian waters and Australians boarded to protect our sovereign, who would be the heros ... the illegal boat, or the Australians defending Australian interests? The Attorney-General dismissed Opposition suggestions the Government must demand the men be handed over to Australian authorities because the boarding of Shonan Maru 2 took place in Australian waters. She said both Sea Shepherd and the Japanese had confirmed the incident took place outside Australia's 12 nautical mile territorial limit. Try again mate.....these protestors are not sanctioned to represent the Austalian Government and have no legal standing to demand anything!!! ::) The most perfidious way of harming a cause consists of defending it deliberately with faulty arguments. Friedrich Nietzsche (1844 - 1900), The Gay Science, section 191

Link?

Whaling patrol bill 'set to pass': Brown
12 January 2012 | 04:53:06 PM       | Source: AAP


The Greens expect a proposed bill requiring Australia to send a patrol boat to the Southern Ocean to monitor the activities of Japanese whalers could be passed by federal parliament in the next two months.


Party leader Bob Brown said on Thursday the Greens bill required the support of the Coalition and independent MPs in the lower house to pass, before being rubber stamped by the Greens in the Senate.

"If the opposition takes the bill, and I am very happy to talk about amendments or changes that they may wish to make, it certainly will pass the Senate," Senator Brown told reporters in Hobart.

"It will take a couple of independents to ensure that it passes the house and we'd be well able to have this legislation go through in the months of February or March."

Senator Brown said if the bill was passed it would be too late to have any effect on this year's whale hunt by the Japanese.

"But it would ensure that there was a patrol boat with the authority of Australia in our Antarctic waters, if the Japanese come south again next season ... to engage in the slaughter of hundreds of these warm blooded mammals that Australians want to see protected.

The federal government has already ruled out Senator Brown's proposal, saying it had previously sent a boat to the area to gather evidence for its application to the International Court of Justice against Japanese whalers.

"We don't need to do it again," Attorney-General Nicola Roxon said earlier this week.

Coalition Leader Tony Abbott has suggested a patrol boat be sent to the area.

Environment spokesman Greg Hunt said this week the opposition would consider supporting the Greens bill, although it had yet to see the detail.

Senator Brown also on Thursday called on the government to take out an injunction in the international court to stop the whale hunt, while the court considers Australia's application lodged in 2010 for the same.

Japan is due to respond in March this year and it's likely the court won't hand down a decision until 2015.

"It's really important here that Australia assert itself," he said.

Senator Brown pointed to the Japanese whaler Yushin Maru 3, which has been tailing the anti-whaling Sea Shepherd Conservation Society vessel Bob Barker and traversing waters off Macquarie Island in Australia's Antarctic world heritage area.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard said on Wednesday she had been advised the Yushin Maru would leave the waters overnight.

It was still there on Thursday morning but was expected to depart during the day.

"The latest information I have from Sea Shepherd is that the Japanese ship is finally leaving the vicinity," Senator Brown said.

"It should have gone a long time ago.

"It should never have been invading Australia's territorial waters.

"It's illegal that it did that and charges should be laid against the captain of that ship who knowingly entered Australian waters in breach of Australian law."

He requires the government to request through Interpol copies of the ship's logs and video equipment to support any future court action against the captain.

Senator Brown said if the government could call on Sea Shepherd to obey the law during its anti-whaling activities, then that stance should apply to the Japanese captain.

He also repeated his view that the bill for the pick-up by customs of three Australian protesters detained on the Japanese hunt security vessel Shonan Maru 2 this week should be paid by Japan.

Ms Gillard has said the bill to taxpayers will be in the hundreds of thousands.

The Greens leader gave a copy of the minor party's proposed legislation to the opposition on Thursday and will also send details to independent MPs.

http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/1618271/Whaling-patrol-bill-'set-to-pass':-Brown

____ wrote on Jan 12^th, 2012 at 4:43pm:

philperth2010 wrote on Jan 12th, 2012 at 4:32pm: ____ wrote on Jan 12th, 2012 at 4:24pm: philperth2010 wrote on Jan 12th, 2012 at 4:07pm: Tell me Green why was boarding the Japanese ship by protestors not illegal??? :-? Because the boat was illegally in Australian waters. If an armed Iranian boat entered Australian waters and Australians boarded to protect our sovereign, who would be the heros ... the illegal boat, or the Australians defending Australian interests? The Attorney-General dismissed Opposition suggestions the Government must demand the men be handed over to Australian authorities because the boarding of Shonan Maru 2 took place in Australian waters. She said both Sea Shepherd and the Japanese had confirmed the incident took place outside Australia's 12 nautical mile territorial limit. Try again mate.....these protestors are not sanctioned to represent the Austalian Government and have no legal standing to demand anything!!! ::) The most perfidious way of harming a cause consists of defending it deliberately with faulty arguments. Friedrich Nietzsche (1844 - 1900), The Gay Science, section 191 Link?

http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/regional/southwest/a/-/news/12541860/activists-to-be-released-by-japanese/

:)

Yet it doesn't state that the Japanese whaling ship were never in Australian waters. They have already proven they flaunt Australian law.


An observation vessel will reduce this happening next year. Good on the Greens for cooling the situation down.


Shame on the ALP for letting Australia and our interests down.