FEDERAL ELECTION 2016
Animals poll priority on the Wild side FLINDERS electorate candidate Ben Wild wants a new federal animal welfare office established to give more power to organisations such as the RSPCA. The Animal Justice Party candidate says such organisations want more power to intervene in animal cruelty cases, but fear losing government funding if they speak out too forcefully. “No one is standing up for people who care about animals,” Mr Wild said on Monday. He is one of six candidates standing for Flinders at the 2 July federal election. The seat is currently held by Liberal Greg Hunt with a more than 11 per cent majority. Mr Wild says 15,000 signatures to his online petition calling on Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce to take action against the owner of 40 dogs at Blind Bight is an illustration of the concern people have for animal welfare. “Local, state and federal politicians are doing nothing – I wonder if their names were Pistol or Boo if we would have seen some action by now?” Mr Wild said, referring to Mr Joyce’s quick action against US actress Amber Heard for illegally bringing her two Yorkshire terriers into Australia while visiting her now estranged husband Johnny Deep in April 2015. The Blind Bight petition at change. org calls on Mr Joyce to intervene in the case where it is alleged the dogs remain “stuck in the freezing” cold, with inadequate shelter and sub-standard provisions” at Blind Bight, a small hamlet near Tooraddin on the northern shores of Western Port.
Chained up: Some of the estimated 40 dogs on a property at Blind Bight which are the subject of multiple charges by Casey Council. Picture: Supplied
Mr Wild said there would have been no action taken towards protecting the dogs if it were not for Casey Council “just by chance having some powers”. Charges laid by Casey Council include keeping an excess number of dogs without a permit; failing to provide sufficient housing; tethering dogs on tethers of less than three metres; using tethering as a permanent means of restraint for dogs; and, failing to register dogs. However, some firearms charges had already been dropped and the case deferred until later this month.
He said questions remained about why there were so many dogs being kept on the property. “It’s difficult to see them all as they are chained up in bushland. If there were puppies the authorities could have seized all the dogs, but under existing laws this wasn’t possible.” Mr Wild said the announcement of his candidature for Flinders had sparked contacts from many people with concerns about animal issues. “There are a lot of dog issues out there and a lot of people are seeing me as a voice for animal welfare.
“In 2013 the Abbott government took animal welfare off the Commonwealth agenda. Instead, it left individual departments of agriculture to be primarily responsible for implementing animal welfare standards. “The conflict of interest is clear. These departments of agriculture are charged with protecting and promoting profits for the agriculture industry while at the same time ensuring animal welfare standards are met and maintained. Revenue raising and animal welfare do not make happy bed-fellows.” Keith Platt
Govt to ‘clear’ mobile black spots AFTER years of frustration it seems the calls for better mobile phone reception at Red Hill and Shoreham have finally been heard. Flinders MP Greg Hunt is “delighted” that money needed to improve telecommunications in the two areas will be available if the Coalition government is re-elected at the 2 July federal poll. Mr Hunt, who holds Flinders for the Liberals with a more than 11 per cent margin, is competing against five other candidates: Yvonne gentle (Rise Up Australia Party), Shane Lewis (independent), Willisa Hogarth (The Greens), Carolyn Gleixner (Labor) and Ben Wild (Animal Justice Party). Mr Hunt said a re-elected Turnbull government would spend an extra $60 million to clear up mobile black spots. “Many residents from these areas [Shoreham and Red Hill] have approached me about inadequate or practically non-existent mobile reception and this commitment will provide enhanced coverage for these townships,” Mr Hunt said. “This improved coverage will provide benefits to emergency service operators, businesses, and local residents.” He said the government had already spent $160m on mobile black spots. “These locations have been selected for new base stations as they have been overlooked by mobile network operators due to commercial factors,” Mr Hunt said. “The Coalition is committed to improving mobile coverage along major transport routes, in small communities and ... areas with high seasonal demand.”
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