Did Peter Garrett Present a Novel Alternative for The Dingo Problem?

Outline
Message claims that Australian Government minister Peter Garrett suggested catching and castrating male dingos as a more humane solution to controlling the dingo population before being put firmly in his place by an old sheep farmer in the audience.



Brief Analysis
The incident described in the message never took place. This message is just a revamped version of an old joke that has circulated for years. The original US version involved coyotes rather than dingos and claimed that it was the U.S. Forest Service who made the suggestion rather than Peter Garrett.

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Last updated: December 22, 2012
First published: December 22, 2012
Article written by Brett M. Christensen
About Brett Christensen and Hoax-Slayer

Example

Detailed Analysis
According to this message, which circulates via blogs, social media posts and email, Federal Government minister Peter Garrett recently put forward an interesting alternative for dealing with the dingo problem while addressing a group of sheep producers in NSW. The message claims that Garrett suggested catching, castrating and then releasing male dingos as a more humane method of controlling the dingo population in sheep grazing areas. Supposedly, this obviously impractical solution is shot down in short order by a laconic comment from an old sheep farmer at the back of the conference room.

It's an entertaining tale - exposing the foibles of political leaders is a popular Australian pastime. But, not surprisingly, the incident described never took place. Peter Garrett made no such suggestion. In fact, the message is just a reworked version of a much older US based joke. As the following example reveals, the US version featured coyotes and Wyoming sheep ranchers rather than dingos and farmers in NSW, Australia:

The Sierra Club and the U.S. Forest Service were presenting an alternative to Wyoming ranchers for controlling the coyote population.

It seems that after years of the ranchers using the tried and true methods of shooting and/or trapping the predators, the tree-huggers
had a 'more humane' solution.

What they proposed was for the animals to be captured alive, the males would then be castrated and let loose again.? Therefore the
population would be controlled.? This was ACTUALLY proposed to the Wyoming Wool and Sheep Grower's Association by the Sierra
Club and the USFS.

All of the ranchers thought about this amazing idea for a couple of minutes.? Finally, an old boy in the back of the conference room
stood up, tipped his hat back and said, 'Son, I don't think you understand our problem.? Those coyotes ain't screwin' our sheep -
they're eatin' 'em!' .

You should have been there to hear the roar of laughter.

This is a perfect example of the fairy tale land these NGO come up with.

And, of course, the original US version was also untrue and was always intended as just a joke.

This is not the first time an Australian political leader has been targeted in a reworked US joke. Another widely circulated joke claims that, upon hearing that there were over 10,000 "cattle guards" (steel grate devices placed on roadways to restrict the movement of cattle) in NSW and Queensland, former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd ordered that half of the "guards" be fired immediately. Of course, these claims also had no basis in fact.

References
Sierra Club and US Forrest Service Proposal to Wyoming Sheep Growers.
ASA - Joke for the Day
Kevin Rudd Fire the Cattle Guards Hoax

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3. Dog 'Capitán' Sleeps At Owner's Grave
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10. False Protest Message Claims Picture Shows 500 Christians Burned By Muslim Terrorists
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12. Did Peter Garrett Present a Novel Alternative for The Dingo Problem?
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