Why Peak Farmer Bodies - Condemns "Chop" Civil Disobedience

G'ady Agmates,

Opposite is a photo of Jock Laurie, president of the NSW Farmers Association.

I have received an Email from one of their associations executive members. We will not publish his name, because Agmates appreciates his input and we do not want to embarrass him or bring down ridicule from his fellow executives. This email was not from Jock Laurie.

Agmates will reply to each of his comments but first let me make this clear:

Even though Agmates have and do maul the NSWFA and other farmer bodies, I’m (Agmates) am not anti these organizations.
We firmly believe that the farm sector cannot survive in this day and age without STRONG representation. Here’s the point – I get feedback all of the time from Australian farmers who feel that the Peak bodies have let them down particularly on the Vegetation Management Act issues.
The groups who’s views we publish did not exist a decade ago. The have sprung up and are populated by farmers who feel isolated that Peak body groups have let them down.We believe in publishing a balanced view on Agmates (hence I publish the Fundamentalist green comments).

Agmates don’t publish anything that is off colour, racists or discriminatory and try to source my comments to researched material.

But Agmates can be controversial, but we are 100% Pro Australian farmers. We will do whatever it takes to help farmers win back their private property rights. Agmates would gladly work with NSWFA to achieve this end, but we rarely if ever hear from them.

Now to the email:

From: NSWFA EXEC [mailto: nswexec@nswfarmers.org.au]
Sent: 05/07/2007 11:08 AM
To: Agmates
Subject: RE: Tree Chop Campaign - Globally Significant

Agmates:

NSWFA EXEC: "The governments are run by whoever elects them in, basically the city voters. City voters are heavily influenced by environment concerns amongst other more mundane issues such as paying off a mortgage or the rent. Greens lobbyists have been very successful getting political ears. Farm lobby groups have been in the main reactionary to green politics."

Agmates: "All true – BUT the feedback Agmates get on our website suggest that regardless of what you do you’ll never win over the Fundamentalism Green Brigade – they’ll tolerate you as long as they call the shoots all the while using their perceived political clout to screw farmers through legislation".

Jennifer Marohasy made a great comment on her blog today that is telling –
“Not so many years ago environmental activists rather than farmers would have been more inclined to break the law. Now it is once law abiding farmers who feel so aggrieved they have resorted to civil disobedience”

Why are the NSWFA worried about voter perception? You are not trying to win political office. You’ll never get the Pollies attention unless you draw voters attention by any means possible to bad legislation. Pandering to the greens is not the answer."

NSWFA EXEC - "Whether we like it or not groups like the wilderness society and their spokesmen have political sway and they will say what ever they deem expedient. To suggest they have any direct control over the NSW Farmers Association is ludicrous and offensive."

Agmates - "Is it? – NSWFA seem so hell bent on avoiding WWF’s Roth. Why are you worried, they have the most draconian piece of legislation (the VMA’s) in place ruining the lives and livelihoods of 1,000’s of farmers across Australia. You’ll never appease the Green Fundamentalist. Trying to do so is like trying to appease a militant Islamic fundamentalist, it’s impossible they just want to see the end of western Culture nothing less and nothing logic, education or reason can change this.
The Green Fundamentalist won’t be happy until they see the end of private land ownership, the end of farming, the whole country cover in scrub. So don’t waste your time. They are a small minority who have swayed public opinion. Ten years ago they were a small band of radical extremists largely ignored by mainstream media and politicians. Now they are a small band of radical extremists who through clever manipulation of public perception and politicians have become all powerful. They didn't get where they got today through pandering to farmers".

NSWFA EXEC: "If you think that this tree chopping campaign is going to be beneficial to farmers you are seriously deluded. Other than blowing off a bit of well deserved frustration and anger over ridiculous native Veg legislation and resulting negative environmental, personal and financial impacts, nothing positive will be achieved."

Agmates: - "the recent admissions by Federal treasurer Peter Costello on ABC 7.30 report that it was the Federal Coalition Government that Stopped Land Clearing so the Australian Government could meet it’s Kyoto Target has sparked this uprising. These farmers suffering under the Vegetation management Regimes are furious at the deception and the lies. No Australian let alone a land holder city or country is going to give up his land to the state without a fight.

For 10 years governments Federal and State and the peak Farmer bodies have conned farmers that the draconian Vegetation Management Acts legislated in each state where there because of community demands for them to protect our environment.
It is now clear that they were put in place to turn rural Australia into a huge carbon sink, owned and controlled by the Government to allow them to use the 74million tonnes of Carbon emission savings up to October 2006 to offset the unabated growth in the energy sector.

The above is well documented on Agmates web site and in Dr Clive Hamilton’s recent book – Scorcher The dirty politics of climate change.

There is genuine shock and anger in the Australian farming community over this enormous deception. As in all great democracies, when governments abuse their power and the court system fails its citizens then the next stage in any great democracy is a spontaneous uprising of civil disobedience to bring the democracy back in equilibrium. That’s the nature of all strong democracy’s i.e. Gandhi March to the sea to collect salt etc."

NSWFA EXEC: "Much hard work has been and continues to be done by the NSWFA and others to move the politicians to see farmers as good environment custodians as well as important economically and socially. We have achieved some mile stones and winning the all important public perceptions campaign and frankly we need the negative city press from these protest actions like a hole in the head."

Agmates: Agmates publicly invite the NSWFA to tell Agmates readers just what these milestones are in regards to The NSW Native Vegetation Act. All I can see on my score card is Green Lobby 10 – NSW farmers 0)

NSW EXEC - "Make protest by all means get the message out that the native Veg laws are wrong but do it in away that brings the city voters with you not against you.

Agmates - Again let me remind you that The Native Vegetation Laws in each State of Australia are the most Draconian pieces of Legislation ever introduced in Australia. They are driving good farmers off good farms right now. So what is the NSWFA plan, get the public to love farmers then they will be so “offended” that the executive government has stolen their property rights that they will demand that the ruling party gives them back?
It’s a plan, but the chances of it working are almost zero. The Indians were great servants to the British Colonist and they Colonist loved them as servants, but when they would not pay the salt tax they threw them in jail. It was not till they were civilly disobedient that the Indians won back their property rights."

NSWFA EXEC: "Personally I am out raged by the way farmers have been treated by various governments at times, but we need to be smart about addressing these wrongs. The NSWFA is run by farmers for farmers make no mistake. That is why I am a member of NSW Farmers and proud to represent as an executive councilor."

Agmates: I agree with everything that you just said. Being smart is showing leadership, farmers are suffering under the VMA's - Any person or organization who is willing to stand up and fight, show leadership on behalf of Australian farmers has Agmates full support."

NSWFA EXEC: "But I suspect this simple answer to you extravagant claims will not interest you."

Agmates: "Well your mistaken. But Agmates would like to go through the list of Agmates “Extravagant claims" with you. Please email them to me and I will be happy to substantiate each and every one, If I can’t I’ll happily apologise and print a full retraction. I and the Agmates readers await your and NSWFA response."

End of Discussion:
Postscript:
Your Agmate - Steve
Agmates 100% Pro Australian Farmers

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