SENATOR Barnaby Joyce will visit the property of Monaro grazier, Peter Spencer, who is showing no signs of ending his hunger strike, which entered its 24th day yesterday, although his health is reportedly deteriorating.
Yesterday, shadow finance minister, Barnaby Joyce, urged Mr Spencer not to harm himself and called on the Prime Minister “as a person of good nature that I know Mr Rudd is” to call Mr Spencer to try to defuse the situation.
“I understand completely and empathise with Mr Spencer’s predicament and the obnoxious arbitrary way that he has been defrauded of his assets,” he said.
“My thoughts first and foremost are for Mr Spencer’s safety and health.”
Mr Spencer remained perched part-way up a 90-metre wind monitoring tower on his property, “Saarahnlee”, Shannons Flat, protesting against the failure of governments to compensate him, and other farmers, for the loss of income through land clearing restrictions, and the officially acknowledged role of the restrictions in ensuring Australia met Kyoto Protocol carbon emission targets.
Mr Spencer has vowed to maintain his vigil until Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, agrees to pay billions of dollars in “just terms” compensation.
Cobar district grazier, Alastair McRobert, who is at “Saarahnlee”, said yesterday Mr Spencer was still firm in his resolve, refusing to eat but drinking.
Mr Rudd, in Copenhagen to attend the climate conference, had not responded and told journalists in Denmark he was not aware of the Spencer protest, (despite the fact The Land emailed his office for a response last week).
Yesterday, shadow finance minister, Barnaby Joyce, urged Mr Spencer not to harm himself and called on the Prime Minister “as a person of good nature that I know Mr Rudd is” to call Mr Spencer to try to defuse the situation.
“I understand completely and empathise with Mr Spencer’s predicament and the obnoxious arbitrary way that he has been defrauded of his assets,” he said.
“My thoughts first and foremost are for Mr Spencer’s safety and health.”
Ironically, Australia has come under attack at Copenhagen, where a negotiator revealed Australia would be looking mainly to changed agricultural practices to meet future carbon emission targets.
The only comment from Government ranks came from member for Eden-Monaro and Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Support and Water, Dr Mike Kelly, who was reported in the Cooma Monaro Express on Tuesday as expressing sympathy for Mr Spencer’s predicament.
Dr Kelly said he had made representations on Mr Spencer’s behalf a number of times but there was little he could do while Mr Spencer remained chained to the wind mast.
“The previous government should have set up a system in the heyday where farmers could be compensated for this sort of thing,” he said.
Dr Kelly said he would like to meet Mr Spencer to discuss Federal Government initiatives such as the red gum and woody grasslands projects, Caring for Our Country and Farming for the Future.
Mr Spencer’s plight is garnering more publicity, including radio interviews and newspaper articles.
Online support group www.sosnews.org, is co-ordinating a support meeting tomorrow at Mr Spencer's property.
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