Asia-Pacific
Greens urges Rudd to intervene on whaling
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-02-23 15:52
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CANBERRA: The Australian Greens leader Bob Brown on Tuesday urged Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to reject a draft plan that would allow the reintroduction of commercial whaling on a limited basis.
Brown said the plan will "pull the rug" from under Australia's threat of international legal action against Japan if it fails to stop whaling by November.
He also queried whether Rudd knew of the plan, saying Australian officials at the commission had helped draft the proposal.
It was likely Rudd had a "secret agenda" during weekend discussions with Japan's foreign minister Katsuya Okada.
"The Rudd government is being nobbled by Tokyo," Brown said, adding that voters would rebel if the prime minister did not act.
"There's no way Australians will endorse the license to kill one whale yet alone hundreds of whales."
