Ruse- Government is 'greenwashing' the public on Marine Park Plan

by Geoff Ruse, Newcastle ECOfishers on 19 Jun 2012 This month has seen another disgraceful deal that this Labor Government has made, based not on any Fisheries based science, but completely reflective of the Greens election deals and Greens policies. How many credible scientists make up the Green’s groups around the country you might ask, virtually non. Fisheries based scientific research for true conservation is being ignored as the powerbrokers play this pretend game of deception to the public.

Over 3,000,000 Square Kilometers of waterways locked up, virtually banning all fishing, all while research is proving that recreational fishing has virtually no effect on the conservation of eco systems around Australia.

This Zoning process was bad enough with massive lockout zones during the draft, but even with so many pro fishing organisations and groups appealing for some common sense, they were not just ignored, but the Gillard Government in the senseless onslaught to conquer, increased the size of the lockout zones even further. It is a stark reminder that agendas and political advantage will always trump genuine needs and priorities.

My biggest concern is that many organisations, including the one I am a member of, are talking up our influence on the corrupt process this Labor party has forced us all to try to work within. Many organisations are putting in the hard yards to try anything that might help reduce the impact that these selfish politicians are sacrificing at any cost. Many Fishing lobby groups and organisations are diligently, and at great expense, driving the hidden agendas back into the press, but this has been a less than rewarding process for all of us.

I would like to suggest that all of these independent organisations start to work together, to build a collective data base of anglers, boaters, and outdoors organisations that have been the victims of this political abuse. I believe that a massive data base of contacts and email addresses would give us direct contact with those who stand to loose there recreational freedoms over the next 20 years as these Greeny zones get larger and larger.

If we were to use this data base wisely, with integrity and with perhaps a limit of one email per month to the recipients, we could keep the facts and focus in the publics sight on a regular basis, but best of all we would almost certainly gain the numbers to gain the balance of power in the Upper House of parliament forcing the Greens into a powerless position.

This would require us to put our own interests second, to that of the right to see our freedoms returned and maintained in this country. It would take insight and wisdom to look ahead to the demise our all our orgaisations and businesses that will no longer exist if this manipulative Greeny momentum continues as it has over the past 30 years or more.

We have the brightest people, access to the worlds most credible marine scientists, the facts that cut through the propaganda, and the support of most of the Australian public. What we need to do is put this into a collective and powerful lobby base that would bring down any government policy that has been proven to be built on the pretence of smoke and mirrors principals.

I can think of many things that we would need to instill to maintain integrity so that this collective force would prevail long term, but real Transparency would have to be paramount.

Please consider what we have lost already, step up and protect our freedoms because our children and our great grandchildren deserve to see and appreciate all the freedoms that most of us have had the honour and pleasure to be actively a part of.