Kevin Rudd’s effort to stop Japanese whaling by promising to launch court action against Japan by November is unlikely to achieve its purpose, and reveals a deeply cynical and callous Prime Minister who is jeopardising Australia’s bilateral relationships, Chair of the Senate's Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee, Senator Russell Trood, said today.
Although personally opposed to commercial whaling, Senator Trood said that the Prime Minister is mishandling the issue by pursuing a populist domestic agenda which is at odds with our international interests.
“Even if Mr. Rudd was to find substantive grounds for litigation and succeed in the case, a victory would be at best, a symbolic gesture. The absence of international mechanisms for enforcing the rulings of international courts, including the International Court of Justice, means that Japanese commercial or scientific whaling is unlikely to stop,” Senator Trood said.
Senator Trood said that coercive rhetoric will never achieve results with Japan, which has already been facing international criticism of its whaling activities for years.
“These matters are much better handled through diplomatic efforts, something Mr. Rudd failed to understand even as Opposition Leader, when he first promised to take the Japan to court over the matter.”
“My fear is that the Prime Minister’s latest statement will only cause further tensions in our relations with Japan,” Senator Trood said.
“This is a relationship which should be one of Australia’s closest and most important in the Asia-Pacific region. It is folly to place it in such peril for the sake of a symbolic ruling.”
Senator Trood added that announcing a post-election deadline for court action is a deeply cynical exercise on the part of the Labor Government.
“This seems just an excuse for Mr. Rudd to parade his contrived conservationist credentials in the lead-up to the Federal Election, without having to take any serious action until after the Australian people head to the polls.”
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Anastasia Glushko
Media Adviser
The Office of Senator Russell Trood
Senator for Queensland
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