Steve Fielding (Victoria, Family First Party) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate:

(a)

notes that:

(i)

4 years ago more than 100 fishermen in Queensland had criminal convictions recorded against them and were each fined $2,500 for innocently dropping a fishing line in water which is part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, and

(ii)

2 years ago the Federal Government downgraded the offence to an infringement with a $1,100 fine and no criminal conviction, however, the fishermen still have a criminal conviction recorded against their name; and

(b)

calls on the Federal Government to fix this anomaly by making sure these fishermen are given a pardon and do not have the permanent stain of a criminal record to their names.