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Thursday February 9, 2012

What we're talking about

  • Durkim on New Zealand Gangs Mm, yeah... Real funny, Randhil... more
  • Kayli on The Boats God help me, I put aside a whole afteroonn to figure this out. more
  • Raynes on Tax and Pollution Until I found this I thoguht I'd have to spend the day inside. more
  • James Brown on Mark Latham Mark, you must fell as if you are pushing it uphill, but you are the hope of the side. Keep it up! more
  • Michael on Halal certification The Halal Choices website is http://www.halalchoices.com.au/product_lists.htmlIt lists all the products that have been ... more
  • a barker on A few facts on illegal boat people We are the Lucky Country, or are we?.15 years ago maybe.How many Indonesian Officials are taking a a bribe from the people ... more
  • Robin on The Boats Hey,Thanks! Great post you have written on "The Boats ".Really I can say that your post is very informative, I'll come ... more
  • dan on A few facts on illegal boat people From what i can see if we dont do something about this flood gate issue,we will have the same nonsense thats happening over ... more
  • Randhil on New Zealand Gangs This info is the cat's pajmaas! more
  • Keshawn on CMC Complaint into Queensland Health That's rlelay shrewd! Good to see the logic set out so well. more
  • howard on Learning from one another? We are such a politically correct and multiculturally sensitive country Islamists are flourishing here. Just as they ... more
  • PP on Halal certification Thank you for the Halal Choices and the info about Coles - I will not be purchasing meat from Coles henceforth. In the UK it ... more
  • PP on Halal certification Thank you for the Halal Choices and the info about Coles - I will not be purchasing meat from Coles henceforth. In the UK it ... more
  • anne white on Halal certification A website that lists all Australian food products that are halal is, HALAL CHOICES.Also I phoned COLES (1800 061 562) and ... more
  • john on The Taxi Industry No one have the right to do anything they dont want.. you want to drive cabs do it you are not force to do something you do ... more
  • Diana on Halal certification I just found out about this today! Does anyone know how to get a list of products bearing this logo so we can boycott them? more
  • lol on New Zealand Gangs lol... this isnt good at all more
  • Ann on Support our Diggers Is it possible to buy this sticker? I'm sure any number of people would be proud to support our diggers by displaying the ... more
  • Mimosa on Smith with PM Gillard You mean I don't have to pay for expert adcvie like this anymore?! more
  • figsen/hypolgirl on Anna Bligh as President Hope you're checking this out Wobblyone. Your comment is one of the cleverist/funniest I have read. Couldn't stop laughing. ... more

Keeping the Greenies on the leash

Posted by: Michael Smith | 12 March, 2010 - 2:07 PM
reef

We’ve got to keep the crazy greenies on a pretty tight leash.   Here’s a story that might illustrate why.

In the lead up to the introduction of the GST, John Howard did a deal with the Democrats.   Part of that deal included zoning off 33% of the Great Barrier Reef as a green zone with a prohibition on fishing, as a part of the Democrats’ Oceans Policy.

When the law was drafted it included some nasty catches.   One of them was that if you were caught fishing in a green zone - whether or not you’d caught a fish – you would have committed a federal offence with a compulsory criminal conviction recorded.

324 people, mainly Queenslanders, were caught out and were given a criminal conviction and criminal record.   Just keep in mind how often you hear about people who bash police, burgle dozens of homes or knock things off from their employers and get away without convictions recorded in Queensland.   Just don’t fish in the wrong spot and you should be fine.

One of our listeners, Barry G is a young dad who works as a pest controller.   Never been in any trouble with the law, top bloke.

Barry went on a holiday with his brother to the Great Barrier Reef.   They didn’t catch a single fish in two weeks.   But Barry’s brother took Barry to the wrong spot – and you can guess the rest.

Barry was convicted under the old law.

Barnaby Joyce and others have pushed through a Great Barrier Reef amendment bill after a Senate enquiry into this matter.   The result of that legislation is that criminal convictions for offences committed under the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act between 1 July 2004 and 14 December 2006 are to be treated as “spent” convictions.  

A person is not required to disclose a spent charge or conviction.   Other people, including the government, are prevented from taking that charge or conviction into account.   Authorities are prohibited from disclosing a “spent” conviction.

Barry’s just picked up the pest control business with Woodford Prison.   He fills out some contractor forms for entry to do his work.   Acting on the advice of his local member of parliament, and a letter from the Federal Government, Barry didn’t declare his spent conviction.

But the Queensland Police apparently don’t abide by the law.  They reported to Woodford authorities that Barry had a conviction.   Barry was refused a work permit.

324 Queenslanders will have a similar problem.   The Queensland bureaucracy still doesn’t get it.

Bash a cop – no conviction.   Drop a line one metre over a line on some Greenie’s map – conviction.   And don’t even talk about frightening a flying fox.

Blog comments Your Say

  • WELL P..13.3.2010. Perhaps you should look at a marine chart and see if the green zones are marked appropriately. The State Govt introduced same i nthe Moreton Bay Marine Park..if you can work it all out then good luck to you. The EPA took ages to even release the GPS points for the boundaries. All ofthese conservation zones have been introduced by bith Fed and State Govts for one reaso nonly...preference votes. It has nothing to do with the conservation of the marine environments. Anytime Smitth wants to have a chat about these I would glady talk to him..especially about those in Moreton Bay.

    phil Friday 19 March, 2010 - 6:58 PM

  • I wonder if this law could be extended to the Australian Antartic Territory.

    Richard Monday 15 March, 2010 - 9:48 AM

  • if you can't read marine map ,which do show the green zones, you should'nt be there in the first place.
    and if a bloke can't catch a fish in 2 weeks somethings wrong or your talking through your arse.

    p Saturday 13 March, 2010 - 9:52 AM

  • I cannot believe the story of Barry.
    If the Authorities are prevented from disclosing a spent conviction then Queensland Police should be sued for damages which I assume would be considerable.
    I think it's time for Bob Atkinson to come on and answer this further travesty of Justice.

    Gayle Lambert Friday 12 March, 2010 - 4:09 PM

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