By Jeff Hampton
An Australian farmer has spent 43 days up a wind tower without food in protest at his Government's carbon credit policy.
Peter Spencer claims the Government has stolen his vegetation rights, and he is prepared to die to further his cause.
Farmers gave up their holiday today and marched in Australia's capital in support Spencer.
Mr Spencer has spent the last 43 days living off water and lemon juice. He has lost weight, and doesn't always make sense.
"We've had Anzacs fighting in two great wars to protect our flags. What is one person?" he asks.
Down below, his family is watching him waste away. They hope he gets what he wants, so he can come down.
Mr Spencer's gripe is that he can't clear trees and vegetation on his New South Wales property because the Australian government has effectively nationalised it to make sure the country has enough carbon credits required under the Kyoto Protocol.
"They shouldn't be able to take bloke's land away from them and make money off the property while the bloke's dying," says farmer Greg Irlam.
"Along with red tape and restrictions, we've had a lot of rural suicides," says another farmer, Geoff Watson.
The leader of Australia's National Party describes the Government move on farms as "theft".
"Ask anyone who owns a property what vegetation management means to them - it just means a noose around your neck," says Barnaby Joyce.
Here in New Zealand, farmers are watching the case closely.
"We're in exactly the same position," says Lachlan McKenzie. "If we owned a pre-1990 forest, the Government has effectively taken the credits for that. If you chop that down, you have a liability."
Some Australian politicians believes Mr Spencer is going too far.
"If he was sitting on the ledge of a window on the 15th floor of a building in Sydney, saying, 'I'm going to jump unless I get a royal commission,' someone would grab him and take him to hospital," says Liberal Senator Bill Heffernan, "and that's precisely what should happen to this bloke."
But the man himself is single-minded.
"Our Prime Minister is now out of line," says Mr Spencer. "He doesn't have the authority, and the people haven't given him the authority to breach the constitution."
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