7 September
2006 - Queensland Senator Jan McLucas’ claim the
Australian Government will scrap the Great Barrier
Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) is scaremongering
designed to divert attention from Labor’s policy
to abolish the existing protected areas.
Labor is happy to scare the
loyal, hard working staff of the GBRMPA whenever
it can.
This is in spite of the fact
that the Australian Government has reiterated
regularly that our policy is to have a world class,
well resourced Authority – based in Townsville.
The only threat to the reef
is Labor’s policy announced by Mark Latham and
never revoked: to review the boundaries of the
reef.
Senator McLucas’ comments are
a smokescreen to keep scrutiny off the ALP’s policy
to tear up the new marine park boundaries.
I call on the ALP to make protection
of the reef a non-political and bi-partisan issue
and publicly revoke the policy to tear up the
Park boundaries.
The Howard Government increased the protected
areas of the reef from five to 33 per cent. Labor’s
policy would throw communities up and down the
coast into chaos and confusion.
Not only is this plan environmentally
negligent, but if Labor were ever in a position
to implement it, questions would have to be asked
about the payments that have been made to hundreds
of fishing operators in compensation for the loss
of fishing area.
Will Labor be demanding those
payments back?
Senator McLucas’ scaremongering
about the reef authority is a base political ploy
and is without foundation. The Howard Government
has protected the Great Barrier Reef and supported
fishing families and associated industries and
will go on doing so.
Rob Broadfield
