Little Kevvy thinks being PM means he can use the Navy as protestors to harass Japanese whaling vessels. Just what kind of totalarian megalomaniac is this powder puff?
Whale navy plan 'could harm ties with Japan' OPPOSITION Leader Brendan Nelson has warned that Prime Minister Kevin Rudd may be risking Australia's relationship with Japan with his proposal to use the military to monitor Japanese whalers.
Japan has so far kept silent about a plan by the Rudd Government – flagged before the federal election – to use the navy to search for evidence of illegal whaling in Australian waters.
Australia and other nations have long been angered by Japan's continued killing of hundreds of whales in Antarctic waters for so-called research purposes.
This season, Japan is planning to kill 935 minke whales, 50 fin whales and, for the first time in 40 years, 50 humpback whales.
While the Coalition opposes the whale hunt, Dr Nelson – the former defence minister – says the proposal to use the navy to gather evidence on Japan's whalers raises more questions that it answers.
And he is worried it could harm strong security and trade ties with Japan.
Mr Rudd yesterday indicated Australian assets – interpreted to mean the military – could be used to gather evidence.
He plans to make an announcement next week on what action the Government will take as the whaling season gets under way.
Dr Nelson said the Government needed to be aware of the potential consequences of its actions, including the impact on Australia's diplomatic ties with Japan.
"Japan for 60 years has been a key ally and now one of our major trading partners," he said.
"I would be very concerned about sending war assets, warships and air force planes down to look at the Japanese whaling fleet in terms of how is that going to escalate the diplomatic tensions between Australia and Japan.
"What does it mean for our relationship with Japan – surely we should be asking the international community before we send war assets down to look at the Japanese whaling operation."
The Japanese embassy in Canberra refused to comment.
Paul Watson, captain of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society's anti-whaling ship the Steve Irwin, said action by the navy could take some of the burden off his organisation.
The Sea Shepherd's objective was to uphold international conservation law by "harassing, blockading and doing everything we can" to stop the Japanese whalers activities, he said.
"I'm hopeful that the Australian navy will actually come down and do that for us," he said to ABC radio.
The Navy will get hosed by the Japs?