http://au.news.yahoo.com/latest/a/-/latest/15733224/australia-wont-monitor-japanese-whaling/

Australia will take diplomatic action to encourage Japan to drop its "scientific whaling" program, amid reports the Japanese fleet has begun its journey south.

Environment Minister Tony Burke has restated the government's strong opposition to Japan's whaling expeditions and dismissed Japanese claims that the program is for scientific research.

"There is nothing scientific about going out and chasing whales, aiming a harpoon at them, so that you can pull them in and chop them up for food," Mr Burke told reporters in Sydney on Saturday.

Australia would lobby Japan to respect a moratorium on whaling in the Southern Ocean, taking "all diplomatic action that a government can take", he said.

But Mr Burke said the government would not respond to coalition calls for a customs vessel to be sent to the Southern Ocean to monitor the annual whale hunt.

"The information that we have on the way Japan has alternated this each year is that in all likelihood they'll be in the New Zealand search-and-rescue zone anyway," he said.

Opposition environment spokesman Greg Hunt on Monday wrote to Prime Minister Julia Gillard saying it was vital an Australian vessel be present in case of any clashes between Japanese whalers and the anti-hunt group Sea Shepherd.

"There is a real risk of conflict or collision causing injury, death or a major environmental spill in the event of a sinking," Mr Hunt said.

Greens acting leader Adam Bandt says the government should seek a court injunction to stop the whaling.

"The government says it wants to do something about it and has commenced proceedings in the court, but it hasn't done the simple thing that would actually stop the whaling, and that is go off and seek an injunction," Mr Bandt told reporters in Melbourne.

The Australian government started legal proceedings at the International Court of Justice in May 2010.

Both Australia and Japan have filed their detailed written arguments to the court and the case has been set down for oral hearing at The Hague, probably next year.

Attorney-General Nicola Roxon said the decision to start legal proceedings was not taken lightly.

"The Australian government considers Japan's whaling program is contrary to its international obligations and should stop," Ms Roxon said.

Citing the Fisheries Agency, Kyodo News reported on Friday three vessels had left from the far-western port of Shimonoseki, while environmental group Greenpeace said the mother ship had left another port, also in the country's west.

The fleet plans to hunt up to 935 Antarctic minke whales and up to 50 fin whales through March, the fisheries agency said earlier.

The Australian government had not yet received official confirmation that Japan's annual whaling hunt was beginning, and did not expect to.

"Last year there was no stage when the Japanese government actually confirmed its whaling fleet was heading south," Mr Burke said.

Here's what Garrett said about the injunction


Quote:

Labor has a clear policy position that we will enforce Australian law banning the slaughter of whales in the Australian Whale Sanctuary. Therefore, Labor would enforce any injunction the courts decides to grant against Japanese whalers. I wish to send a powerful and clear message to the Australian public that Labor believes in enforcing Australian law. This is the right and obvious thing to do.

It hasn't even seek an injunction - so how can it promise that it will enforce it

Abit like the carbon tax

Abit like the budget surplus - no ifs no buts

What will happen when something happens to the aussies out there fighting the japs? Perhaps this is what the government wants? Pretty strange that maqqa would be on the whales side though - must be because (and only because) its a way to attack gillard.

SOB

Gillard is weak - the people smugglers know it and obviously the Japanese know it. If she had some cojones, she'd dispatch a Navy frigate to the area. No, I'm not suggesting the Navy be used to shoot at the whalers. Instead, the purpose of the mission should be to monitor and record the activities of the whaling fleet and to use that evidence against the Japanese in court to prove their claims of scientific whaling are as false as Gillard's promises of no carbon tax and of a surplus.

Sir Spot of Borg wrote on Dec 30^th, 2012 at 5:31am:

What will happen when something happens to the aussies out there fighting the japs? Perhaps this is what the government wants? Pretty strange that maqqa would be on the whales side though - must be because (and only because) its a way to attack gillard. SOB

Then why did Labor make a promise it can't keep

Labor is always making promises (at which it is good) and never keeping them (at which it is extraordinarily talented).
But what's the bottom line here?
The Japs, at the moment, have a culture for eating whale meat. Do we have the right to tell them that they must not do that, obscene as it is to many including myself?
Surely the solution is to get them to agree to an ever-diminishing kill, which is probably occurring anyway, and wait for the inevitable change in their diet to one more conducive to heart disease and diabetes.

Sir Spot of Borg wrote on Dec 30^th, 2012 at 5:31am:

What will happen when something happens to the aussies out there fighting the japs? Perhaps this is what the government wants? Pretty strange that maqqa would be on the whales side though - must be because (and only because) its a way to attack gillard. SOB

How is stating gillard will do nothing about the whales, an attack from maqqa. Pointing out gillards rhetoric is everyones job.

progressiveslol wrote on Dec 30^th, 2012 at 8:32pm:

Sir Spot of Borg wrote on Dec 30th, 2012 at 5:31am: What will happen when something happens to the aussies out there fighting the japs? Perhaps this is what the government wants? Pretty strange that maqqa would be on the whales side though - must be because (and only because) its a way to attack gillard. SOB How is stating gillard will do nothing about the whales, an attack from maqqa. Pointing out gillards rhetoric is everyones job.

Your sentence doesnt make any sense so im just guessing @ what you are asking here but maqqa doesnt give a toss about the whales.

SOB

Sir Spot of Borg wrote on Dec 31^st, 2012 at 5:50am:

progressiveslol wrote on Dec 30th, 2012 at 8:32pm: Sir Spot of Borg wrote on Dec 30th, 2012 at 5:31am: What will happen when something happens to the aussies out there fighting the japs? Perhaps this is what the government wants? Pretty strange that maqqa would be on the whales side though - must be because (and only because) its a way to attack gillard. SOB How is stating gillard will do nothing about the whales, an attack from maqqa. Pointing out gillards rhetoric is everyones job. Your sentence doesnt make any sense so im just guessing @ what you are asking here but maqqa doesnt give a toss about the whales. SOB

His statements on this topic would suggest otherwise.