Ghost nets - abandoned, discarded or lost fishing nets - drift through the oceans, regularly entangling marine animals. Around Australia, discarded nets kill large numbers of animals, including dolphins and whales such as the southern right whale.

Death by ghost net is a terribly slow and painful way to go. The nets cut deeper and deeper into the whales’ flesh, preventing them from eating or swimming properly. It can take weeks or months before the whale dies from drowning, starvation, injury or predation by sharks.

The Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society records that post-mortems of whales show fishing nets sometimes cut right into their bones. 

A system of registering fishing nets would discourage carelessness, so saving animals already facing countless other threats.  Nobody benefits from whales dying agonising deaths in drifting fishing nets.

High risk of injury and mistreatment of retired animals make horse racing a controversial sport. The unnecessary use of whips adds another layer of cruelty to the life of a race horse.

Jockeys traditionally use whips near the end of a race, in hopes of forcing their horses to run further and faster. Unfortunately, whipping does nothing except inflict pain -- a University of Sydney study shows that horses achieve their highest speeds when no whips are used, and whips have no effect on the probability of a horse finishing a race in the first three placings.

Despite knowing these facts, the Australian Racing Board continues to allow jockeys to use whips in horse racing. Please sign the petition to support a ban on this cruel practice.

Australia's native forests are under threat. Rob Oakshott, the federal member for Lyme, wants to change a government policy against allowing renewable energy subsidies for native forest furnaces.

Native forest furnaces involve burning woodchips created from native forests to create electricity. Mr. Oakshott moved to disallow regulations which keep native forest furnaces out of Australia's clean energy target.

The Clean Energy Target is part of the Multi-Party Climate Change Committee's agreement, the aim of which is to create a future for Australia in which we will rely on clean energy. To classify native forest furnaces as renewable energy will pervert the environmentally friendly intentions of the agreement.

Oakshott's motion, which was seconded by Tony Windsor, would put our environment in grave danger if passed. It would encourage the destruction of ancient forests which have long served as homes for our unique and iconic wildlife.

Demand that Rob Oakshott withdraw his absurd motion. Tell Mr. Oakshott that native forest furnaces are not renewable energy.