Senator Joyce acknowledges that it is day 24 of NSW farmer Peter Spencer’s hunger strike.
Driven to despair, Mr Spencer has chained himself 10 metres up a 300 foot wind tower at his Alpine property “Saarahnlee” near Canberra and has not eaten for the past 24 days.
Mr Spencer has been one of the casualties of the reappropriation of an asset from an individual to the state and by the state, without payment.
It might have been legally possible, but it was incredibly unjust.
Mr Spencer personifies the frustration and injustice held by so many people in regional Australia who have had to pick up the tab for the price of Australia meeting its international treaty commitments, such as the Kyoto protocol.
Australia met its target under the Kyoto protocol with carbon reduction from the banning of tree clearing, however this has been without payment to the owner of the trees.
The cost of this is now carried by such people as Mr Spencer and their lives have been turned upside down accordingly. This frustration is manifestly apparent in the actions of Mr Spencer.
Mr Spencer has called on Mr Rudd’s office to open up with some form of dialogue to discuss this issue. In a letter emailed to Mr Rudd’s office on the 23rd of November, the second day of his hunger strike, Mr Spencer stated that he would not take food again until Mr Rudd entered into that dialogue. From what we can ascertain, Mr Rudd’s office appears to have handballed the issue to the Australian Federal Police.
My thoughts first and foremost are for Mr Spencer’s safety and health. I call upon Mr Spencer not to put his safety or health at risk and to consider those who love him and who want no harm for him.
I understand completely and empathise with Mr Spencer’s predicament and the obnoxious arbitrary way that he has been defrauded of his assets.
I understand why Mr Spencer is conducting this hunger strike, but my foremost thoughts are that Mr Spencer does no harm to himself.
I promise to keep fighting as best I can for the rights of Mr Spencer and many others like him that have been left without just terms or fair payment.
I make the commitment to come down and speak with Mr Spencer, but I plead that he consider coming down from his hunger strike.
I also ask that Mr Rudd just make a call to Mr Spencer and see, as a person of good nature that I know Mr Rudd is, if we can try and defuse the situation.