Queensland tourist industry calls for non-lethal shark control measures

This is a disgrace.  The tourism industry wants to have its cake and eat it too.  The unmentioned fact below is that shark diving is a significant tourist activity.  Going down in cages to observe sharks is a big thrill. So the tourism operators want to keep the sharks alive.  But what about the swimmers?

Swimmers have been kept safe in tourist areas for many years by catching the sharks on hooked lines and killing them. But that has now been forbidden in some areas.  So swimmers are already getting bitten. And that is VERY bad for tourism.

The way the tour operaters propose to square the circle is by using airy-fairy catch and release strategies that offer a very low level of protection to swimmers.  But that is OK to the operators.  They would rather have live sharks and a few dead tourists

I was alerted to the fact that there was something fishy going on (forgive the pun) when I saw that the Greenies were praising the tourism operators


Queensland tourism operators are demanding urgent government action to control sharks in the Great Barrier Reef amid fears foreign tourists are being scared off.

The call comes after bickering by state and federal governments over the best way to control sharks around the popular Whitsunday Islands and other destinations. The two governments have been at loggerheads, with Queensland calling on Canberra to pass laws allowing it to kill sharks in the reef.

In a joint statement, tourist operators have called for aerial shark spotters, netted swimming areas, particularly around Stradbroke Island, and SMART drum lines.

The Queensland Tourism Industry Council, Tourism Whitsundays and Tourism Tropical North Queensland are concerned without such measures to protect swimmers, tourists will be turned off the region.

There are also demands for an investigation in increased shark attacks in the wake of last week's incident involving two British backpackers in the Whitsundays. Alistair Raddon, 28, and Danny Maggs, 22, were attacked in the waters of Hook Passage on Tuesday, leaving Mr Raddon without a foot and Mr Maggs with a lacerated calf.

They had been on a ZigZag Whitsundays boat tour and were in the water when the shark bit one man before circling and returning to bite the other. They are now planning to tell their story to British media and there is concern the fallout may deter overseas tourists.

Shark attacks in Queensland have recently become a political football between state and federal governments. The stoush began after Queensland lost a federal court battle to be allowed to use baited hooks to catch and kill sharks in the reef, requiring state fisheries staff to now catch and release sharks.

It has called on the government to introduce laws to circumvent this decision, but the federal government has told them to use SMART drum lines, despite state fisheries authorities saying they didn't work

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Greenies were big donors in the last Federal election

Zali Steggall given $1.1m donations in successful bid to topple Tony Abbott. Steggall given most among independents at election, and largest donor to independents was Climate 2020 lobby group

Climate 2020, the Simon Holmes à Court and Mike Cannon-Brookes-backed environmental lobby group, donated a total of $354,500 to independent candidates, making it their largest source of funding at the 2019 election.

According to disclosures released by the Australian Electoral Commission on Monday, Zali Steggall received a total of $1.1m of donations in her successful bid to topple Tony Abbott in Warringah, the highest of any independent.

Steggall was followed by Helen Haines, who raked in $421,000 in her successful bid to succeed Cathy McGowan in Indi; Oliver Yates, who received $363,000; and the former independent MP for Wentworth Kerryn Phelps, who received $219,000.

The disclosures reveal only donations from a single source above the $13,800 threshold received by individual candidates, independent Senate groups and their respective donors. Party declarations will be released in February.

The other independents who raised more than $100,000 were candidate for Farrer Kevin Mack, Queensland Senate candidate Hetty Johnston, ex-Liberal MP Julia Banks, former independent MP Rob Oakeshott, and disgruntled Liberal turned challenger in Gilmore, Grant Schultz.

Steggall also topped the list for the most number of donors (1,378), followed by Helen Haines (1,002) and Oakeshott (350).

Climate 2020 gave $145,000 to Oliver Yates, who failed in his bid to dislodge the treasurer, Josh Frydenberg, in Kooyong; $50,000 to the ACT independent Senate candidate Anthony Pesec; $47,500 to Phelps; $40,000 to Banks; $37,000 to Oakeshott; and $35,000 to Haines. Pesec also received $20,000 from Malcolm Turnbull’s son, Alex Turnbull.

Climate 2020 Pty Ltd is an initiative of energy consultant Holmes à Court that has also received funding from Atlassian co-founder Cannon-Brookes, who describes it as a “non-partisan, non-profit project set up to assist political candidates with a clear commitment to a science-based response to the climate emergency and to restoring integrity to politics”.

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Drought Australia: NSW rainfall soaks parched farms

A rare deluge over swathes of drought-plagued western NSW has caused farmers and residents to revel in their freshly soaked red earth.

Rain and thunderstorms across NSW on Sunday resulted in a water gush through towns including Bourke, which recorded the highest rainfall in the state with about 66 millimetres, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.

Girilambone, in NSW’s mid-north, recorded 42.4mm, while in the Riverina Griffith recorded 30.8mm. Mirrool Creek, in the Riverina, is running for the first time in two years.

Nationals leader Michael McCormack warned the drought crippling Australia would take “years to recover from”, despite the heavy weekend rainfall.

“This is great. But one downpour doesn’t end the drought, it doesn’t solve the problem in the drought-stricken communities,” Mr McCormack said.

Prime minister Scott Morrison said this morning In Bangkok where he is attending the east Asia summit: “Australia at present has got some challenges in the agricultural sector, but I was very pleased to hear the reports of rain overnight.”

“It’s very encouraging. “We know that rain of itself is not drought-breaking, but I would say that it has been a tremendous encouragement to those western districts of NSW in particular, who have been looking forward to that.

“But our agricultural sector, despite the fact that we face droughts and floods, remains strong like all sectors of the Australian economy.”

While many of the towns to enjoy the falls had gone months without significant falls, the BOM told The Australian that drought-affected areas had missed out on downpours.

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Scott Morrison threatens crackdown on protesters who would 'deny liberty'

PM signals action on secondary boycotts of resources companies and says progressives want to tell Australians ‘what you can say, what you can think’

Scott Morrison has branded environmental protesters “anarchists” and threatened a radical crackdown on the right to protest in a speech claiming progressives are seeking to “deny the liberties of Australians”.

In a speech to the Queensland Resources Council on Friday, the prime minister said a threat to the future of mining was coming from a “new breed of radical activism” and signalled the government would seek to apply penalties to those targeting businesses who provide services to the resources industry.

Morrison told Australian corporations to listen to the “quiet shareholders” and not environmental protesters, who he suggested could shift targets from coal companies to all carbon-intensive industries including power generation, gas projects, abattoirs and airlines.

In a speech proposing limits on free speech advocating boycotts against polluting companies, Morrison said progressives wanted to tell Australians “what you can say, what you can think and tax you more for the privilege of all of those instructions”.

He claimed that “progressivism” – which he labelled a “new-speak type term”, invoking George Orwell – intends “to get in under the radar, but at its heart would deny the liberties of Australians”.

“Apocalyptic in tone, it brooks no compromise,” Morrison said. “It’s all or nothing. Alternative views are not permitted.”

He pointed to the “worrying development” of environmental groups targeting businesses or firms involved in the mining sector with “secondary boycotts”, such as businesses refusing to provide banking, insurance or consultancy services.

“They are targeting businesses of all sizes, including small businesses, like contracting businesses in regional Queensland.”

“Let me assure you this is not something my government intends to allow to go unchecked.

“Together with the attorney general, we are working to identify mechanisms that can successfully outlaw these indulgent and selfish practices that threaten the livelihoods of fellow Australians.”

But Morrison admitted the government “can’t force one Australian company to provide a service to another”.

The Competition and Consumer Act already contains civil penalties for secondary boycotts, which target one business in order to prevent provision of goods or services to another, including if they cause “substantial loss or damage” or substantially lessen competition.

However, secondary boycotts for the “dominant purpose” of environmental protection or consumer protection are permitted.

In 2014 the Abbott government considered applying penalties to environmental boycotts. In 2015 the Harper competition review said in the absence of “compelling evidence” on the point it saw no need for change although the exception should be reassessed “if such evidence arises from future boycott activity”.

Earlier on Friday Morrison told 3AW Radio that there is “of course the right to protest in this country” but claimed recent environmental protests in Melbourne were “well beyond the pale” because protesters had allegedly spat at people in business shirts.

“If it’s not OK to have secondary boycotts being run by unions … it’s not OK for environmental, well, they’re anarchist groups … to be able to disrupt people’s jobs, their livelihoods, to harass people as we saw down in Melbourne,” he said.

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Protect Small Business From Union Bullies. Pass The Ensuring Integrity Laws

The latest case of the CFMMEU bullying a small business shows why the Parliament must pass the Ensuring Integrity laws.

The Federal Circuit Court found that the CFMMEU and one of its officials in Queensland abused an employee of a sub-contractor calling him “you f…ing, dog, c..t” while flouting right of entry laws in order to subject the small business employee to and “offensive” and “unprovoked” tirade of abuse.

 The court found the CFMMEU official’s actions were “unprovoked and aggressive”, a “gross abuse of the entitlements” given by his right of entry permit and that the union’s conduct was yet another example of its “unending recidivism”.

“It’s bullying pure and simple. It’s not tolerated in the community and it shouldn’t be tolerated on construction sites,” Denita Wawn, CEO of Master Builders Australia said.

“This is far from an isolated case, it’s just the latest evidence that the CFMMEU deliberately targets small business people and their employees with bullying, aggression and intimidation. The Parliament must act to protect small business people in our industry and pass the Ensuring Integrity laws,” she said.

““I urge Senators, when they come to vote on the Ensuring Integrity Bill, to consider how they would feel if it was them or their staff on the receiving end of such abuse from a CFMMEU bully,” Denita Wawn said.

“The Ensuring Integrity laws are not an attack on unions or their ability to defend the rights of their members on building sites or anywhere else. Only those unions and officials that insist on continuing to break the law will be affected,” Denita Wawn said.

Via email. For more information contact: Ben Carter, National Director, Media & Public Affairs, 0447 775 507

 Posted by John J. Ray (M.A.; Ph.D.).    For a daily critique of Leftist activities,  see DISSECTING LEFTISM.  To keep up with attacks on free speech see Tongue Tied. Also, don't forget your daily roundup  of pro-environment but anti-Greenie  news and commentary at GREENIE WATCH .  Email me  here