An update on the plight of the Thompsons in Australia

WUWT readers may recall that I asked for help in supporting this family back in 2010. The issue was an out of control agency (DEC) that granted, then revoked, an operating permit for a feedlot operation based on nothing more than a couple of neighbor complaints about “smell”.  You responded, and it made a difference. Matt and Janet Thompson have provided this update which I repeat in entirety. – Anthony

Dear Readers of WUWT and Jo Nova:

We would like to give an update to all of you who have supported us in a variety of ways, including with donations (in-kind and monetary) for our children, writing letters, and contacting politicians and our bank.

For a refresher on the background to our story, please see the original YouTube we produced, including the important Part 2:

Part 1: http://youtu.be/tgFPDcPr5yA Part 2:  http://youtu.be/pCsi1Inc-rE

We returned to the USA for Christmas in 2011 on frequent flyer tickets given to us by family.  Matt’s dad had been having health problems, and had had a major surgery in July.  After seeing our parents again, we were moved to reconsider our living situation; namely the fact that since our business was not operating, we could no longer afford to fly our family back to the States should something sudden arise.  (Matt’s dad had another surgery in February, and we were thankful to be here for that.)

In addition to the desire to be within driving proximity to our families, we had become acutely concerned over the deterioration in political, legislative and regulatory circumstances in Australia.  We worried that even if we were to win our case against the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) (a case that is still in progress), the passage of the Carbon (sic) Tax in 2010 made the possibility of ever operating our feedlot again impossible. It meant that even if we won in court, most of our efforts to profitably operate our business would have gone towards convincing some bureaucrat that we weren’t causing greenhouse gas emissions, when in fact we were.  Productive people do.

Finally, while in the US, Matt was offered a job in Texas, and we felt, all things taken together, we should make the heart-wrenching decision to move our family to America.  This was not a decision taken lightly.  We had lived in Australia for 10 years.  Three of our four children had been born in Narrogin, and the first had been only 11 months old when we moved down under.  We have many close, stalwart friends, and our lives in Western Australia, despite the obvious problems, had been happy and rich.

After fighting through the court system on three fronts (bank, receivers, and DEC) since mid-2010 to save our business and attempt to pay back our unsecured creditors (who have been unbelievably kind to us throughout the ordeal), we came to an agreement with the NAB and Ferrier Hodgson (the bank-appointed receivers) last month.  The details of the agreement are confidential, but we feel that concentrating our legal efforts on the DEC (bringing it down to a one-front war, if you will) is the most prudent thing for us to do.

So our property has been handed over to the bank and receivers.

Very importantly, we continue to pursue the case against the out-of-control, bureaucratic and inept DEC, still hoping to pay back our unsecured creditors.  Still hoping that our story will make a difference to society.  Still hoping for some semblance of justice for ourselves after losing our lives savings and thriving business due entirely to a government agency’s edict, after being told by that same entity in the beginning that we could proceed.

Our children were devastated when we broke the news to them in late January that we were not to return to Australia.  Matt and I have both struggled with the fact that we were not able to say good-bye to our close friends, and we have been missing them and our life in Narrogin.  Adding to the pain, the subtle nuances of our legal situation required us to quietly pursue our course without communicating publicly to the people who directly contributed to keep a roof over the heads of and food on the table for our children.  Had it not been for your faithful generosity, our situation would have been impossible.

While that silence was difficult, it was necessary.  Walking the fine line of dealing directly with our treacherous situation and communicating openly and often has been tough.  We hope you understand.  From our direct communications with many of you, we are certain you do.  From the bottom of our hearts, thank you.

On the broader front of the hoax of climate change, we are very proud that we spoke out strongly and publicly — and early on — against the attack on productivity and productive people.  We know that it cost us our business, our entire lives savings, and the life of one of our closest friends.

We continue to be concerned in the extreme about the situation and the fundamental factors that led to the birth and unobstructed growth of such an insidious and damaging monster.  We continue to be involved with grassroots actions, hoping to make a difference.  We believe our four children and their generation deserve better than to inherit the current financial and political mess.  These concerns and our actions affect our ability to produce real goods and services as we would like to, but we will survive and do what we must while doing what we can.

Thank you again for your warmth, support, understanding, and patience.  Please don’t hesitate to contact us through Jo or Anthony (with “The Thompsons” in the Subject line) if you feel moved to do so.  Thanks again and again.

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If this episode over some cow odors forcing a family to abandon their farm isn’t enough, I felt that it would be appropriate to post this video as a reminder of what sort of mendacity the government of Australia has been up to.