A whale of a deception


Just who does Kevin Rudd think he’s kidding? Labor made a big thing before the last election of its determination to stop Japan killing whales in Antarctic waters. Since winning it has confronted the reality that there is stuff all that Australia can do to carry out the promise.
This morning in a transparent attempt to hide this truth the Prime Minister has promised he will launch court action against Japan by November if it does not agree to stop slaughtering the whales in the Southern Ocean. November indeed! He just wants to put off an admission of failure until after the next election.
This Government, like those before it, is extremely reluctant to upset Japan by pushing too hard on this issue. The hope is that there will end up being some compromise at the International Whaling Commission which will result in the Japanese killing whales somewhere else rather than close to Australia.
And as for that much promised and much delayed legal action there is no doubt that the advice our Governments have long been given is that there is no chance of success.

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