THE HON TONY BURKE MP
SHADOW MINISTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND WATER
SHADOW MINISTER FOR CITIZENSHIP AND MULTICULTURAL AUSTRALIA
SHADOW MINISTER FOR THE ARTS
MEMBER FOR WATSON
THE HON MARK DREYFUS QC MP
SHADOW ATTORNEY-GENERAL
SHADOW MINISTER FOR NATIONAL SECURITY
MEMBER FOR ISAACS
THE GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO SHOW LEADERSHIP ON THE SLAUGHTER OF WHALES
Federal Labor is appalled by reports emerging over the weekend around Japan wishing to lift the ban on commercial whaling for profit.
The moratorium on commercial whaling was one of the great environmental reforms of the last century.
As the largest island nation Australia has a clear responsibility to be one of the loudest voices globally when it comes to protecting our oceans and the life that lives within it. Japans so called scientific whaling has never been justified or reasonable. There is nothing scientific about travelling from one side of the planet to the other harpooning whales and chopping them up to put them on a plate, Mr Burke said.
When last in government Labor took action by taking Japan to court over its so called scientific whaling program and was successful, winning the case at the International Court of Justice. It is time for the Turnbull government to step up and take real action to protect whales and our marine environment, Mr Dreyfus said.
The Australian Government needs to be able to fight this loudly and forthrightly. We should again have ministerial representation at the International Whaling Commission (IWC) and the Government should make clear that Australia is willing to once again take Japan to court to stop whaling in the southern ocean.
MONDAY, 2 JULY 2018
