January 13, 2008
AUSTRALIA'S bold anti-whaling message is being discredited by delays in locating the Japanese whaling fleet, says the federal opposition.
Environmental group Greenpeace yesterday beat the federal government in locating a fleet of six Japanese whaling ships in the Southern Ocean.
A Greenpeace spokeswoman said the ship - The Esperanza - had made several failed attempts to pass on its coordinates to the government.
A spokeswoman for Home Affairs Minister Bob Debus said the government's customs ship The Oceanic Viking was still en route and no operational details would be made public.
"We're on track to collect photographic and video evidence of Japan's actions - that's the mission of The Viking and we are on track to do so,'' the spokeswoman said.
Opposition environment spokesman Greg Hunt said The Oceanic Viking had become a "ghost ship'' and demanded the government reveal how long it would take to reach the whaling fleet.
"It's almost a month since Labor promised that The Oceanic Viking would be out on the high seas - weeks and weeks later the ship has still not caught up with the Japanese fleet," Mr Hunt told AAP.
"Greenpeace is having to do the Australian government's work for them.
"We need to know how long it will be before the Australian government catches up with the Japanese whaling fleet."
Mr Hunt said the delay was not only ``a breach of faith'' to the Australian people but also the world.
"If you make a bold promise to the world and don't keep it, it sends a message to the Japanese that we are only kidding, we weren't serious and we were just playing a domestic game.
"It's vital if you make the promise to carry it through.''
Mr Hunt also called on Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to talk to the Japanese government directly about whaling.
"The single most important action has yet to be taken and that is for Mr Rudd to pick up the phone and speak to the Japanese prime minister (Yasuo Fukuda) person to person.
"Because at the end of the day any decisions will be made by the Japanese prime minister.''
- AAP