Coulton slams Greens credibility on Alpine Grazing
21-March-2011
Federal Member for Parkes, Mark Coulton has today spoken in Parliament opposing the Private Members motion introduced by Greens Member Adam Bandt, which would see the end of alpine grazing in Victoria.
The motion Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (Abolition of Alpine Grazing) Bill 2011 proposes that alpine grazing be abolished and comes on the back of the Minister for Environment, Tony Burke ordering the removal of cattle from alpine regions by April after the Victorian Government reintroduced cattle in these areas in January this year.
Mr Coulton used this motion to attack the Greens by stating “It is interesting: do we ever hear, from the Greens and their followers on the other side, the blind acolytes of the Greens, an environmental proposal that affects one of their electorates? It is always someone else making a change to ease their conscience.”
Mr Coulton highlighted the significant fire risk that would occur with the removal of these cattle and also highlighted the minimal environmental damage alpine grazing has on the alpine environment.
“What about in my electorate? Bob Carr locked up 360,000 hectares in the Brigalow Belt South Bioregion. Two years later, guess what happened? It burnt.”
“After what happened in Victoria on Black Saturday after the Green influence on local government planning and state government planning, and after the loss of life and devastation that happened, I am surprised that the Greens could even come in here and show their faces and start talking about legislation that is supposed to give some environmental benefit.”
“The closer that people live to the environment the less they vote for Labor and the Greens,” Mr Coulton stated. “And someone in regional Australia always pays the price.”