Greens urge government to get Bethune home

14 Mar 2010 06:52p.m.

RobertM wrote:

Sonnetag, whaling is a pelipheral and symbolic issue for the Japanese but it is only the hook of a larger and more crucial issue of overfishing in the Southern Ocean and an area which is NZ and Australia's area of concern not Japans. Japan has to be stopped. The performance with the arrival of Bethune in Tokyo is all Japanese theatre and intimidation. Mooring the security vessel carrying Behune alongside a larger Japanese cutter, presumambly hints at the next stage of maritime safety escalation (Coastuguard). Japan simply has no right to whale in Australian antarctic waters which are a whale sanctuary. For NZ Government spokesmen to pretend they can distinguish NZ interest from Australia's stand on this issue is doubtful. The truth is NZ officials seemed to have engaged in blatant sabotage of the Australian stand and Government by the position and actions of Palmer, McCully and official re the International Whaling Commission. The whole purpose the modern NZ Navy has been created is to engage in resource protection in the Southern Ocean, even the range of the l980s Anzacs is partly for such needs. It is why I was determined to do anything to stop the Anzac frigate project in the late 1990s so vessels suitable for hard low level conflict in the Southern Ocean would be aquired, rather than vessels only suitable for conventional war.My point on the Falklands is rather more nuanced. The Falklands were the Royal Navy's war and possibly the Argentine Navy's but it was a rather pointless one because Britain dosent have a legitimate claim to those islands or resources or ability to exploit them, where there are critical resource issues in the Southern Ocean and it is absolutely our business where Thatcher was just led by the nose by a Royal Navy which didn't really save its fleet or reverse Notts cuts for more than a few years.

14 Mar 2010 04:47p.m.

SONNETAG wrote:

RobertM. The Greens calling for Bethune to be brought back by the Government is just a cynical attempt to curry favour with the Populace to get a few votes - Bethune is basically a criminal. If as you say the Australians have authority over a 320km zone - then it is they that should police it - not a bunch of pirates. Telling a Sovereign Nation to get rid of its Traditional Culture and food source is tantamount to declaring war. As to who rammed who - the Ady Gil was trying to put itself between the Shonan Maru and the mother vessel. Given that the ship is steel and Gil "Carbon" fibre it should not have taken a genius to perceive the outcome. It was a deliberate cynical attempt by the Sea Shepherd Lot to gain publicity and donations. It all seems a little strange that that self confessed wrecker and Pirate - Paul Watson was not on the scene - but pulling the strings of his puppets. The Greatest Admirals were all British and dedicated to protecting their County's Interests and trade - and stopping the likes of the Spaniards having dominion over the world. hardly Pirates - even those who were "classed" as Pirates had "Letters of Marque" from Britain. The Falklands - The Argies had huge economic and political problems which were they were the reasons for attempting to take the Falklands - it was to divert their own people away from their own problems. If you had Politicians of the Calibre of Margaret Thatcher in power then things would be different. The first thing she did was to put a huge taskforce and sent it to sea to take back what was Britain's - she had bigger nuts than most Polly's. What ended the war to an extent for the Argentinians was when an English Nuclear sub stuck a couple of torpedos in the Admiral Belgrano when it wnt into the UK exclusion zone - rather took all the fight out of them. One would hope that the sinking of the Ady Gil will do the same. Diplomacy works - not confrontation (Unless you are Maggie Thatcher - that is!!)

14 Mar 2010 04:12p.m.

brian wrote:

Greenies, get used to it, if you break the law - be it ours or those of any other country - you take the consequences. End of story.

14 Mar 2010 02:39p.m.

RobertM wrote:

Finally a comment from the Greens on whaling if on the important tangent of Bethunes arrest and potential show trial in Tokyo. An outline of how whaling should be closed down in the coming seasons from the Greens would be helpful. The Greens are always a bit tepid on issues of potential national economic importance, such as stopping furthur dairy conversions. Bethune seems entitled to make a citizens arrest of the Nishan Maru 2 to me. The Japanese vessel was supporting illegal whaling and raming the Ady Gill, all in waters within the 320km ecomomiz zone that Australia claims under the Law and Sea of the Australian Antarctic territory. Sonnetag the greatest admirals were pirates Drake, Hawkins, Raleigh they broke the spanish ascendanmcy and did what all great admirals and generals do or at least did up to MacArthur, they took the initiative and touched up the potential opponent to start the contest that the political leadership wanted, but didn't have the courage to initiate themelves. In a way its what the Argentine scrap dealers did when they planted a flag on South Georgia therby forcing the Argnetine government to take the Malvinas or what has always been the policy of the Royal Navy since Suez, get the frigate and carrier fleet to sea immediately before the politicians have a chance to change their mind- thats what the did over Kuwait in 61 and the Falklands.

14 Mar 2010 12:34p.m.

cyril wrote:

agreed V. It has nothing to do with the Goverment any more than if he had been caught smuggling drugs in Tailand. If Pete thought things were going to go any differant than what they did hes sillyer than his actions appear.
The Greens are just trying to cash in on the publicity.

14 Mar 2010 11:35a.m.

Obiwan wrote:

Hi Maurice - I am sure that the Somali and other pirates also board vessels to arrest the crew in order to right the wrongs of wealth distribution in the world, from their perspective. Piracy is piracy, pure and simple. Finding legal ways to justify any such acts makes the already difficult international shipping even more so. If Bethune's actions were based on legal advice, the lawyers ought to be deeply ashamed and concerned about the can of worms they try to open.

14 Mar 2010 11:34a.m.

SONNETAG wrote:

SEA SHEPHERD HAVE MADE CAREERS AND A LOT OF MONEY OUT OF BEING "PIRATES". BETHUNE ILLEGALLY BOARDED A SHIP IN INTERNATIONAL WATERS ON AN ALLEGED ILLOGICAL IDEA THAT HE COULD "ARREST" THE SKIPPER - WHAT THEN TAKE HIM BACK TO A SEA SHEPHERD SHIP N THE JETSKI HE ABANDONED??? HAVE AN OLD SOVIET STYLE "SHOW TRIAL". THESE PEOPLE NEED LOCKING UP OR TAKING PIRATE STYLE TO EXECUTION DOCK AND DEALT WITH. HE ENDANGERED HIMSELF AND OTHERS IN THIS ACT AND IF THE JAPANESE JAIL HIM FOR A FEW YEARS ON A DIET OF RICE AND WHALE MEAT SUSHI - I FOR ONE WILL CHEER!!!.

14 Mar 2010 10:51a.m.

Lightseed wrote:

maurice, the film has been watched by experts who say both parties were to blame. The only ones solely placing blame on anyone is those who have been hired by sea shepard. He actually did break the law, you are not allowed to board a vessel as such.

14 Mar 2010 10:42a.m.

V wrote:

The greens want to Bankrupt NZ for some BS carbon religion, the Greens want to legalize more mind gumming drugs, the greens want us all to be vegetarians, the Greens want you to pay for their junk science, Pete is just a misguided fool!.

14 Mar 2010 10:18a.m.

maurice brennock wrote:

FYI Obiwan Pete Bethune acted within the law by attempting a citizens arrest of the man who tried to kill him and his crew. Watch the film of the deliberate sinking of the Ady gill. Attempted murder is the charge on the captain of the Shonan Maru No 2. Think before you post.