Editorial: Sense at last
OPINION: For the first time in many years, a commonsense approach is emerging to balance environmental issues with the need for the nation's primary producers to be able to operate effectively.
However, across the ditch a leaked email from the Australian peak farmer body, National Farmers Federation (NFF), is directing its members to stay silent on a story linking the common farm chemical paraquat to Parkinson’s disease.
In a leaked email seen by the ABC, the NFF head office encourages its members to “avoid prolonging the story”.
The widely used herbicide has been under safety review by the chemical regulator since 1997. Last month, proposed regulatory changes were announced, which are open for public consultation until the end of October. However, not all farmers are abiding from the NFF directive. The leader of the Victorian state branch has ignored it, saying she believes a debate needs to be had about the safe use of the chemical and the health of farmers.
