The Coalition's bid to win Parkes

This is Steve Truman, the man behind Agmates, one of the cleverest people I have not met (we only email and telephone). He is spearheading the publicity for the farmers fighting for 'land rights' (the right to clear vegetation on their land or be paid compensation). Steve is belting everyone - NFF, NSWFarmers, Canberra, Macquarie Street... He's not making many friends in high places. But that's not his concern. Steve likes ordsinary people, especially farmers.He aims to build a database of 100,000 farmers and build a commercial trading website, driven by news and issues. This native veg campaign is like manna from heaven - a win-win for Steve and thedispossessed farmers. After the letter of support sent to Minister Koperberg, we discussed the possibility that I would be the only candidate in the seat of Parkes fighting for the rights of farmers like these to compensation and carbon credits. Steve replied:

"Mate - Really believe that your political platform is to narrow, just campaigning for Carbon Credits - Now if you where standing on a ticket that committed to win back property rights for Australians - encompassing Land and all that's on it - we could really drum up a storm of support for you - what do you think - I'm serious.

Cheers,

Your Agmate - Steve
Agmates - 100% Pro Australian Farmers

In reply we sent Steve this:

Thanks for the opportunity, Steve.

The injustice done to the dispossessed farmers is the failure to pay compensation. Their right to clear vegetation has been taken by act of government - like catch limits for fishing fleets or bans on fishing certain fisheries. The fishing fleet that fished Sydney Harbour has been scrapped by law - but they were paid market value for their licence.

The climate change issue for mine is bigger than Government attempts to enforce land management practices. Legal rights will come under pressure as society faces the need to change. Power generation companies are already being forced to change the way they manage community resources (the air). They are paying millions for the right to continue to pollute while they develop new technology to solve the problem. The difference between the way the coal miners and big power users are treated and the way farmers have been treated is the crime. It reveals Howard's contempt for the rural sector, thinly disguised in his treatment of the Nationals. He's lumped them with selling the people of the bush on the sale of Telstra.etc.

I am a Candidate for the Climate Change Coalition. We support the right of landholders to the value of their property... to the economic value that property represents... to the carbon they sequester in the soil and in the vegetation. But we can't support the right to continue clearing native vegetation because of the emissions this releases and the need for vegetation to capture and hold CO2.

I hope this doesn't affect our relationship because I admire your spirit. I could bull---- you and pretend to agree (As I am sure a lot of politicians would do) but climate change is going to create more pain for farmers and nonfarmers than anyone has yet admitted. The weather will win the argument in the end. I've got to fight this battle, alone if necessary.

Cheers!

Michael