Farmers fight for rights in Canberra

RIVERINA farmers will band together today to support their fellow NSW property owners in a fight against the Federal Government.More than 40 farmers from Wagga and surrounding areas have travelled to Canberra today to march on the grounds of Parliament House as part of a state-wide rally. The rally commences at 12pm today with buses, organised by the NSW Farmers' Association, carrying farmers from all corners of the state arriving throughout the morning.The rally has been branded a fight against political intrusion, with farmers fuming over what they claim to be a deprivation of their constitutional rights. Lockhart property owner Bill McDonnell headed the campaign in the Riverina, declaring he had "no trouble" filing the seats for the rally."We have had a really good response, there a lot of people who know how important this is," he said. "We mostly have property owners going down and we are going to try and get into Canberra at 11 (am)."The rally was organised by the association to support Peter Spencer, who went on a hunger strike for 52 days in protest of native vegetation laws.