Last Update: Friday, October 7, 2005. 10:09am (AEST)
Irwin influence stopped croc safaris, MP says

A Northern Territory Labor MP says the Federal Environment Minister appears to have consulted only one expert before making his decision on crocodile safari hunting.

Senator Ian Campbell has refused to allow the export of the crocodile skins, which are deemed crucial to starting a trophy hunting industry in the Northern Territory.

The decision has been condemned by members of his own Liberal Party, the CLP, the Territory Government and crocodile experts.

Labor's Member for Lingiari Warren Snowdon says it is clear where the Minister is getting his advice.

"He was seen wrestling with Steve Irwin, I mean he's his guru. He's on Australian national television cuddling a crocodile with Steve Irwin and that gives him some basis for knowledge," Mr Snowdon said.

Mr Snowdon says the decision is further evidence the CLP is ineffectual in Canberra.

He says if the CLP's Member for Solomon, Dave Tollner and Senator Nigel Scullion had any power in government, they would have convinced the Minister to change his mind.

"I don't know what the CLP exists for anymore in the Northern Territory frankly because at the federal level they're obviously a joke," he said.

"No one takes any notice of them because if you were advocating on behalf of the Northern Territory strongly, you would obviously stop these sorts of decisions.

"They have shown they have no power to influence decisions made by the Federal Government, repeatedly."