Greenpeace Chutzpah

Self-Righteous Hooligans

At last.  Maybe.  Julie Bishop, Australia's foreign minister, has indicated that the Australian government may require Greenpeace to pay the costs to the Australian government of one of their staffers getting arrested in Russian waters.  It amounts to around $35,000.  We hope the New Zealand government is paying attention. 

It is normal for diplomatic resources to swing in to support citizens in trouble overseas.  But ought they--when the reckless actions of citizens gets them into trouble.  If citizens travelling overseas ignore travel advisory warnings, break the local laws, commit crimes--should the tax payer foot the bill?  Maybe.  It's arguable, but not a slam-dunk one.  Far less justifiable is when a citizen deliberately plans to go overseas and break the law.  To our mind any costs incurred by the taxpayers must be reimbursed. 

One of the "activists" Greenpeace put forward to help climb up on to a Russian arctic drilling platform was Tasmanian, Colin Russell.  Upon returning home after a relatively short stint in the Russian penal system, he had the gall to complain that the Aussie government had not done enough to support him.
  This, from the Guardian:

Russell complained that Australian authorities could have done more in their representations with their Russian counterparts.  The federal government's efforts were "a little bit too little too late", he told reporters at Hobart international airport. . . . Russell said the Australian government was going to let him go through the Russian legal process.  "But it doesn't exist. If you're accused in Russia, you're guilty," he said.  "I thought ... maybe they should have gone into bat a little bit more for me."

Julie Bishop tartly responded:

Bishop said she was surprised by his complaints, saying the Tasmanian received representation from consular officials in both Murmansk and St Petersburg, as well as from herself and the Australian ambassador.  She hoped Russell "has a regret" about the cost to the taxpayer, adding the money may be recovered.  "That's certainly something I'll look at," she said in Perth on Friday.  "If it has cost the Australian taxpayer tens of thousands of dollars and Greenpeace is threatening to do it again, then I think the Australian taxpayer is entitled to ask why they should be footing the bill."

Precisely.  The chutzpah of Greenpeace is breathtaking.  They operate in a lawless "end justifies the means"  world view.  Then they complain bitterly when they are arrested and charged as suffering grave injustices amounting to crimes against humanity.  Then they demand that taxpayers fund their costs.  Consider Russell's oozing self-righteousness and zealous extremism:

Russell said he had no regrets about his actions.  "That's my job. I'm trying to give a future to our kids, our grandkids," he said when he arrived home in Hobart on Thursday night.

I am a martyr--for you all.  Therefore, you ought to pay up.  That's about the sum of it.

How refreshing to read of Julie Bishop considering sending Greenpeace the bill.  We hope she does.  Well past due.