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Government outfoxed by faeces, says MP

Allegations fox poo was planted during Tasmania's fox eradication program will go to the Integrity Commission after police found no criminality in the scheme.

Red Fox - cub on meadow (Vulpes vulpes) (AAP/Mary Evans/Ardea/Duncan Usher) | NO ARCHIVING, EDITORIAL USE ONLY
Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) Source: Ardea Picture Library

A spat over fox scat used to justify a $60 million, eight-year hunting program that failed to find a single live fox will go to Tasmania's Integrity Commission.

Independent upper house MP Ivan Dean has lodged a complaint with the Commission over the state's fox eradication program after a police investigation ruled out any criminality.

Mr Dean, instigated a police investigation into the program questioning the authenticity of fox poo and carcasses used as evidence to launch and continue the government-funded fox hunt.

The controversial scheme ran from 2006 to 2014 and failed to find a single live fox.

A review of documents relating to the program found no criminal offence had been committed, Tasmania Police Assistant Commissioner Glenn Frame said in a statement.

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Mr Dean told AAP he was not surprised by the police outcome and thought the Intergrity Commission would be better suited to investigate any impropriety over the program.

"It's critical that if there's been wrongdoing, it needs to be identified so that it never happens again," he said.

"We're talking about $60 million in funding, the public needs to know that funding was spent appropriately."


2 min read

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Source: AAP



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