Fed: Handling of Japanese whalers has embarrased Aust: Abbott

AAP General News (Australia)
12-14-2009
Fed: Handling of Japanese whalers has embarrased Aust: Abbott

SYDNEY, Dec 14 AAP - The state government's handling of the Japanese whaling program
has brought Australia into disrepute and embarrassed the nation, Opposition Leader Tony
Abbott says.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd insists legal action is still an option in Australia's efforts
to get Japan to stop its so-called scientific whaling program.

Before it came to office, Labor said it was prepared to use the international courts
to stop Japan killing an annual whale quota, but it has been slow to translate that threat
into action.

The whaling issue may come up when Mr Rudd visits Tokyo on Tuesday en route to the
United Nations climate summit in Copenhagen, and the prime minister on Monday told Sky
News a diplomatic solution was the preferred option.

But Mr Abbott criticised the government's handling of Japan's whaling program, saying
not following through with threats of legal action showed Mr Rudd had "talked big but
done little".

"You don't claim that you're going to take Japan to the international court, you don't
claim that you are going to some way assist with the interdiction with whalers, and then
not take any action to back all that up," Mr Abbott told reporters in Sydney on Monday.

"I think that it is a terrible tragedy that Japan is depleting the world's whales ...

I'm as against it as the next man.

"But I don't think you should make threats that you don't carry out - it just brings
Australia into disrepute.

"It embarrasses us before a country which is otherwise a very, very important country
and a very good friend to Australia."

AAP ab/evt/jnb/cdh

KEYWORD: WHALING ABBOTT

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