How many will die if MDBA plan goes ahead? MDBA refuse to answer

NSW Senate candidate Ian McCaffrey and State Secretary Ann Lawler covered 1500 kms to be at all these locations, with different supporters joining them at each. Four other supporters joined them at Narrabri; they all travelled on to Moree for the next morning where they were joined by another activist. In St George, two supporters joined them with one going on to Goondiwindi. All meetings were saturated with the flyer, questions were asked at Narrabri, St George and Goondiwindi, two activists were interviewed by local ABC at different meetings, and literature was sold. We met several people who told us they are supporters, both current and old; others said they get our emails. One man asked if Craig was with us. The New Citizen and CEC recognition was quite remarkable; even one of the patrons staying at the same hotel in Talwood we were at admitted he picks up and reads the paper whenever he comes across it in his travels. He'd also been to the websites and liked most of what we represent but "why so much adoration for LaRouche? He's not God."

At Narrabri and St George, the Clarence Scheme was put on the agenda by two CEC activists; both doing an excellent job of situating the solution to the problem in introducing more water into the system. Dick spurred the meeting into more accountability from the speakers when he said the outcome has already been determined. At St George Ann asked the panel "if they are successful and the plan goes ahead with the 27 – 37% cut backs, how many people do they envisage Australia will be able to support?" She said, "Everyone in the room knows how devastating those cut backs will be for the farmers and communities in the Basin but when the Basin supplies 60% of Australia's food this will have severe consequences for the nation's food. The Wentworth Group of Scientists is the ideology behind the plan and, members of that group like Tim Flannery are advocating around six million population, so is that the intention behind this plan?" The room was deadly silent and MDBA Chief Mike Taylor vehemently denied any connection to the Wentworth Group and stated he had said the same thing the day before when questioned on the Wentworth Group and their connection to the WWF. He then started to waffle on about food and fibre when Ann called out, "How many people?" the microphone had been taken away but they brought it back. Taylor claimed he didn't know and again started to waffle. Ann said, "You have the detail on the water flows, bird life, environmental impact, etc. and you're saying you have not got a figure or idea on the number of people we would be able to support?" He said he was not an authority on population and ended it.

The following day in Goondiwindi, with a bit of persistence to get the chance, Ann asked the question from the floor again. After introducing herself as from the Citizens Electoral Council she said that Mike Taylor has consistently told meetings that "the Plan has support from both sides of politics" and that the CEC is the only party opposed to the plan. She then said she wanted to ask Mike Taylor if he had an answer to the question she asked the day before about how many people would Australia be able to support if the plan and cutbacks went ahead. For the sake of the new audience she raised the Wentworth Group and pre-empted his reply, saying he would deny any connection but that everyone in the room knows that the media always refers to the ACF and Wentworth Group of scientists whenever the Basin is mentioned. Again she stressed the value of the food production in the Basin for the nation and raised the advocated 6 million population as the desired number of people proposed by the so called scientists. Did he have a figure today of the population number Australia could support under the proposed Plan? This time there was some applause nearby, but a lot of silence really. Taylor quickly stated he had talked already about food and fibre and again claimed he was not a population expert so had no idea of the number.

Whether because the Goondiwindi meeting was the last, our ideal positioning and signs, our flyers having been read, or the question which this time was very pointed that both sides of politics support the plan, but as people were leaving they again had to pass our tables and there was a marked polarisation of favour or contempt.

All the lower Queensland area affected by the plan is strong National Party and this meeting was attended by Senators Barnaby Joyce and Ron Boswell as well as the Federal Member Bruce Scott. They had to all pass us on their way in where they received the flyer. Scott made a point of introducing himself and while claiming he was against the Plan wouldn't definitively say he would vote against it and said he was personally against any schemes to bring in more water because he sees that as introducing diseases into the Basin. Boswell claimed to be opposed and asked if he would vote against it, dismissed us saying "he does not give credence to anything connected to LaRouche". Barnaby was greeted by Ann and flyer, but the media whisked him away before any dialogue took place. Barnaby's initial input to the meeting was simply "Who's the boss? The MDBA or the Govt?" After Ann's question he made his second comment to the meeting and told the people the problem is political and they should take their argument to Canberra. While this was being said inside a Nat Party hack told Ann she should listen to Barnaby as she might learn something rather than interrupting their proceedings.

Video coverage on ABC's website showed very plainly someone reading the New Citizen (www.abc.net.au/news/video/2010/10/22/3046268.htm) and Ian and Ann distributing flyers to the Goondiwindi crowd (www.abc.net.au/news/video/2010/10/22/3046293.htm).

Another activist led CEC activists outside the Dalby RSL, handing out 600 flyers and some NCs, and thereby catching almost everyone in attendance. They also hung a sign at the entrance "Murray-Darling Basin ‘No Water' Plan is Genocide" with a box of our MDB press releases underneath and people were seen helping themselves to them; obviously not repelled on the G-word.

A crew of three had plowed the field of Dalby the day prior to the Forum, distributing 1000 four page MDBA flyers and 1000 press releases, including local businesses, pubs, motels, churches, schools and an ag college. People were concerned and intrigued with us. At one school it was ‘home time' when the team arrived and they gave them to about 100 mums and dads waiting in their cars or on the footpath. A few indicated that they'd got one at work. In the following days three people contacted Jan Pukallus by phone to find out more, a librarian, headmaster and tradey.