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Labor Acts On Wild Dogs Four Weeks From ElectionFarmers in north east Victoria have every right to be sceptical of the Bracks Labor Government which has finally taken action against wild dogs just four weeks from the State Election. By Phillip Davis - 30th October 2006 - Back to News Shadow Minister for Country Victoria Philip Davis said farmers throughout north east Victoria and east Gippsland had been pleading for assistance from the Bracks Labor Government to tackle the wild dog problems for the past three years.
But until now, four weeks from the election, those pleas had fallen on deaf ears.
"The Bracks Labor Government has continually ignored calls from the Liberal Party and affected farmers for the introduction of aerial baiting to combat wild dogs," Mr Davis said.
"Time and time again we heard the Environment Minister John Thwaites tell farmers that aerial baiting was harmful to wildlife, and they must continue to struggle through losing millions of dollars worth of stock to the predators.
"In October 2005, the Liberal Party released its policy of introducing a trial of aerial baiting wild dogs.
"Despite the Liberal Party’s policy announcement, which was based on research conducted by the New South Wales Labor Party that found aerial baiting posed no threat to native quolls, Victorian Labor still maintained that farmers must struggle with wild dogs alone."
In August this year, John Thwaites even tried to blame the farmers for the wild dog problem stating:
"Wild dogs are there because people have done the wrong thing and allowed the dogs to get away. It’s a community responsibility as well as the Government’s." – John Thwaites, The Border Mail, 26 August 2006
"It would seem the Environment Minister has done a complete about-face, and for the sake of votes in the north-east has decided that aerial baiting is not such a bad idea afterall," Mr Davis said.
"It is a pity it has taken an election campaign to make city-centric Labor see sense on this issue, and one has to be dubious about whether this commitment will stick after November 25.
"The fact that Labor has only approved aerial baiting only in the north-east shows it was purely a political decision, in that the Bracks Government obviously does not care about winning votes in the independent seat of Gippsland East, where wild dogs are also creating havoc for farmers.
"One thing is for sure, the Liberal Party is 100% committed to introducing a three year aerial baiting trial when in Government."
Source: http://gippsland.com/ Published by: news@gippsland.com
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