RSS FeedJohnny Depp's dogs: Barnaby Joyce wins principled decision-making award
December 24, 2015 04:51
Barnaby Joyce has been honoured for refusing to compromise on his commitment to Australia's national biosecurity in the face of the man twice voted People magazine's sexiest man.
The federal minister for agriculture and water resources has been awarded the Froggatt award for principled decision making by the Invasive Species Council for "acting quickly and decisively" against actor Johnny Depp and his wife, Amber Heard, for bringing their Yorkshire terriers into Australia in breach of quarantine laws.
In May, Joyce gave Depp a deadline of 50 hours to remove Pistol and Boo from Australia, or they would be euthanised.
"It's time that Pistol and Boo buggered off back to the United States," he said at the time, acknowledging that it might mean forfeiting his invitation to the premiere of the fifth Pirates of the Caribbean film, which Depp was filming in Queensland at the time.
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The uncompromising stance he assumed in the face of this threat to Australia's biosecurity led to accusations of his "grandstanding before the media" from Labor and of being "sweaty and big-gutted" from Depp.
An online petition calling on the minister to save the dogs was signed by more than 600 people in its first hour.
Invasive Species Council chief executive Andrew Cox said Joyce was right to resist public pressure and stand up to the film star.
"It might have seemed like a bit of a joke at the time but Barnaby Joyce did the right thing by enforcing Australia's strict quarantine laws," Cox said.
The Froggatt Awards, bestowed annually, are named in honour of the Australian entomologist Walter Froggatt, who was one of the lone voices against the introduction of the cane toad into Australia in the 1930s as a control agent for beetle infestations.
At the time, Froggatt wrote that "this great toad, immune from enemies, omnivorous in its habits, and breeding all year round, may become as great a pest as the rabbit or cactus".
Cox added that standing up to Johnny Depp would not have been enough to guarantee Joyce a Froggatt alone, but his award was guaranteed when he implemented new controls to limit marine biofouling on vessels arriving in Australia earlier this month.
He told Guardian Australia that "some people might be a bit surprised" by the decision, but the Invasive Species Council found Joyce "very deserving'.
"There's very poor appreciation of how important these quarantine rules are. To refuse to bend them for celebrities ... sends a really strong message to everyone.
"No one's above the law."
Cox said Joyce's office was informed of the honour on Wednesday, and he understood that the minister was "really chuffed".
Related: Amber Heard to face trial over 'dog-smuggling' drama involving Johnny Depp
Amber Heard is facing two counts of breaching Australia's quarantine laws, with a four-day trial set to begin at the Southport magistrates court from 18 April.
Other winners in the Froggatt Awards were four Queenslanders for working to eradicate yellow crazy ants from the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area. Without their "tireless efforts", Cox warned, "few people would appreciate the danger posed by the highly invasive and environmentally destructive" insect.
Response teams were recognised for their "rapid and effective effort" to eliminate red important fire arms from Port Botany, in Sydney, while the Senate environment and communications reference committee was recognised in the policy and law category.
Posted December 24, 2015 04:51