MORE than 2000 people have arrived at Magna Carta Place in Canberra for today's property rights protest by farmers, but already this morning Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has dismissed the issue, saying their problems have nothing to do with Federal policies.
In a press conference this morning Mr Rudd said that both he and Agriculture Minister Tony Burke were "scratching their heads" trying to think of any climate change policy the Government was responsible for which had robbed farmers of their rights.
He said native vegetation laws, which have curbed farmers' use of their land, were a state responsibility.
However, farmers say the Commonwealth has admitted to being party to those land clearing bans, and has since claimed the carbon credits from the locked up timber in order to meet commitments made under the Kyoto Protocol.
Landholders say they have not been compensated for the loss of their right to use their timber and soil, or for the carbon credits.
Today's rally has also been told of plans to target state governments as part of an on-going protest, with NSW farmers planning a similar rally in Sydney on February 24.
The issue was brought to public attention recently when ACT grazier Peter Spencer went on a hunger strike for 52 days to bring attention to the issue.
Mr Spencer is one of several speakers who will address today's rally.
Thousands of farmers and landholders from across the country are arriving in Canberra for the protest.
* Click here for a full list of all the stories, photos, and multimedia reports from Tuesday's protest.
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