Fraser Anning (Queensland, Katter's Australian Party) Share this | Hansard source

We often hear the howls of outrage from inner-city elites when a tree is cleared or water is drawn from a river for agriculture. However, the unheard voices are those of the farmers, who on a daily basis not only fight the inhospitable environment but also battle the scourge of feral pests. In addition to their severe impact on agriculture—damaging crops and stockfeed and using limited water supplies—feral pigs, for example, are also exterminating the turtle population in North Queensland by feeding on turtle eggs before they hatch. Many turtles eat jellyfish in huge numbers, and declining turtle populations have contributed to exponential increases in the population of lethal jellyfish, such as Irukandji. As a result, these are quietly moving down the Queensland coast. Let us not wait until the Irukandji reaches the Sunshine Coast or the Gold Coast and destroys the tourist industry before the government steps in and gets rid of the pigs.