AG and environment issues took centre stage at Cowra on Friday as Nationals delegates voted for action on problem bat colonies in regional towns.
We’ll be blogging live throughout day two from 9.30am Saturday, with health, law and justice and education up for discussion.
Amendments to the new Native Vegetation regime were also high on the agenda, while a vote was passed for the Federal government to express disappointment to India over tariffs placed on pulses and fruit.
Former Murray MP Adrian Piccoli also saw his urgency motion addressing child abuse adopted and pushed through.
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Mr Piccoli, seconded by Police Minister Troy Grant, argued members of the clergy must break the seal of confessional and report any evidence of child abuse to police.
Oddly, one of the most animated debates centred on roosting populations of flying foxes in regional towns.
The motion was to develop ways to move them on from urban areas, boost money for horticulture netting, and remove penalties for people getting rid of bats in a non-lethal manner.
Tamworth MP Kevin Anderson: “What do we have to do to have these bats not declared an endangered species? When they block out the sun?”
Clarence MP Chris Gulaptis: "The important part is not penalising people for moving them on in a non-lethal way. Two decades ago all it would have taken a couple of shotgun shells. I'm not saying we go back there but we need to something."
Barnaby watch
The Former Deputy Prime Minister steered clear of Cowra this weekend, issuing an apology to conference for his absence on Friday afternoon via Chairman Bede Burke.
Mr Burke also relayed that Mr Joyce’s brother, Tim, had been admitted to hospital in Sydney with illness.