Greens spokesperson for Whaling, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson used a Matter of Public Interest speech to call on the government to be prepared for every eventuality in light of the upcoming International Court of Justice decision on whaling in the Antarctic.
Senator Whish-Wilson said in his speech, “I hope, as many do in this country, that we will have a decisive finding handed down in Australia’s favour next week, on 31 March. I hope that the International Court of Justice will find that the whaling can no longer continue. But I know that this result may not happen.
“We need to be prepared for any eventuality. Australia needs to appoint a special envoy on whaling to Japan. We cannot let this issue spiral out of control, and ongoing dialogue with Japan is vital.
“The government needs to urgently establish a ministerial task force including the Attorney-General, the Minister for the Environment and the Minister for Foreign Affairs. There needs to be whole-of-government coordination on this matter. This task force should be supported by an interagency working group from the relevant agencies.
On the matter of what whaling compromise Australia may be asked to consider Senator Whish-Wilson said, “Australia should never accept that Japan should be allowed to continue the slaughter of whales. Allowing the slaughter of the minke whales simply because they are not endangered is not a compromise that we should accept.
“If the court fails to find in our favour, there are so many other legal, political and diplomatic paths we can follow to end whaling. We must exhaust all of these and not simply roll over. Whatever the verdict, next summer Australia must send the Ocean Protector to the Southern Ocean to be the ‘cop on the beat’ that this government promised,” Senator Whish-Wilson concluded.
Greens spokesperson for Whaling, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson
