13th April 2010
13th April 2010
Funeral
Lady Shirley McCamley’s funeral on Saturday in Rockhampton was a great testament to the high regard felt by all who knew her. I would like with all our members, with the twelve hundred people who attended St Pauls Cathedral to offer our sincerest condolences to Sir Graham and the family. Central Queensland has lost a gracious and willing worker for the cattle industry and the community.
Senate The senate inquiry on Friday in Rockhampton resembled at times the argy bargy of question time in Parliament.
Inquiry
Senator Doug Cameron for the ALP pitted against three coalition senators (McDonald, Joyce and Kroger) plus the chairman Ryan (Coalition) took a good 50% of the time and despite frequent admonitions from the chair gave no quarter in disruptive tactics.
He sought our knowledge of inquiries and ministerial statements up to fifteen years ago, all selected to highlight the previous federal coalition government’s undoubted complicity. Senator Cameron was successful in that media releases mentioned the Howard government’s involvement. It’s a pity Ashley McKay couldn’t have been there because he tells me he could prove Keating started it all.
PRA in both the set industry submissions and the individual contributions in the afternoon had 50% exposure.
Divine Agribusiness with a measured and considered contribution got us our industry berth and Lestar Manning of p&e Law gave a brilliant exposé of environmental law making. p&e Law is the firm of solicitors we have used for our court appearances.
As I write over a hundred submissions have not been posted on the senate website, including mine as chairman of this organisation.
We have the right to supply supplementary material to the inquiry for another two weeks.
The benefit of all this activity, I believe, is to get our plight on the public record for any future reference.
Public attendance at both venues (Wagga and Rockhampton) was extremely poor, almost a non-event, partly because we weren’t sure how welcome the public would be. In the event, with everyone busy catching up after the wet season and the huge funeral next day, a general appeal probably would not have resulted in any better attendance.
Dr Lee McNicholl and Dale Stiller did us proud in their individual presentations.
I’ve just had a phone call from Capricorn Resort expressing outrage that the senate inquiry has been and gone. They wanted to attend.
We have to meet them to discuss problems with a PMAV on their cattle property and environmental regulations of their wetlands.
High Court
Another development is Damien Rogers and Sue Maynes posting a call on Agmates asking for support for lodging a writ with the High Court of Australia.
This is simply a continuation of the Brigalow conspiracy theory totally discredited some time ago by “The Truth about the Brigalow Corporation” posted by Lynette McDougall on Agmates.
Our barrister’s advice is that the whole thing is so totally outrageous; don’t dignify it with a reply.
This kind of activity, unfortunately in knowledgeable circles tends to reflect adversely on the credibility of anyone connected.
We have to ensure that the very real effort and financial support for the Peter Spencer challenge is not compromised.
It is good to see the NSW Farmers Association and the National Farmers Federation strongly joining in both verbal and financial support of the Spencer appeal in the High Court. David Crombie (NFF Chairman) described the “taking” of property rights by the State Governments at the behest of the Commonwealth Government as the “perfect scam”.
Coal Seam Gas
Vice Chairman, Lee McNicholl attended a meeting of 250 angry farmers on Thursday at Dalby, protesting their loss of property rights to the coal seam gas industry. Again if property usage is compromised in any way, adequate compensation with a substantial component for disturbance should be forthcoming.
Companies must be forced to budget for this as a matter of course.
Then there is the argument as to whether production from good farming land or aquifers should ever be compromised. Our position remains the same – no diminution of property rights without prompt and adequate compensation.
Regards
Ron Bahnisch
Ron Bahnisch, Chairman
Property Rights Australia Inc
Phone: 07 49213430
Fax: 07 49213870
Email: pra1@bigpond.net.au
http://www.propertyrightsaustralia.org/
STAND YOUR GROUND