Thanks for the interesting post JF Aus. I confess, residing at the other end of the nation, I am quite ignorant on the state of the Barrier Reef.

What hasn’t escaped my attention are those who insist that the reef is in excellent condition such as Bob Carter (marine oil and gas geologist) and Jennifer Marohasy who continue to write articles and/or publish articles by those who insist the GBR is “looking good.”

One would prefer to accept this “good” news if the same sceptics refrained from telling us that pollution is good - even tobacco and organochlorines!

Jennifer Marohasy (IPA director) says the Amcor/Visy corrugated box cartel was OK and questioned the evidence over whether the Murray River needed saving.

Marohasy played a critical role in persuading a government committee to overturn recommendations to increase the volume of water released into the Murray River.

In 2008 and in response to criticism, IPA, Chris Berg, the editor of the IPA's journal, was quoted in the Age newspaper:

"Andrew Crook weirdly asserts that the Institute of Public Affairs has been 'effectively frozen out of the national debate' since Kevin Rudd won office. If being frozen out of the national debate is getting more than 200 op-eds published in the national media during the year and having had hundreds and hundreds media mentions and media appearances -- then we're pretty happy with that…..”

The IPA's Forum continues to be embroiled in controversy over failure to disclose its donors.

The IPA and its affiliates worldwide care nothing about the plight of your Pacific islanders JF, or of the mass fish deaths from pollution and overfishing.

The IPA and its parasitical corporate connections do not flinch from an opportunity to scheme and plot, no matter how sordid and are flat out mobilising a dangerous international cabal of tyrannical but influential climate despoilers who are spreading the seeds of deception around the planet, convincing governments that climate change is a conspiratorial hoax perpetrated by the science establishment.

And I believe they’re winning.......God help us........any God will do!