NSW farmer Peter Spencer hunger strike in protest against land-clearing laws has renewed tensions between Liberal and National parties.
Protesters cheered the Nationals senator Barnaby Joyce and heckled the Liberal senator Bill Heffernan yesterday as they gathered outside Parliament House in support of the farmer.
Mr Spencer, of Shannons Flat near Cooma, whose family said he had not eaten for 43 days, is protesting - on a platform 10 metres up a wind-monitoring tower on his property - against laws that prevent him from clearing vegetation on his land.
Mr Spencer's cause has drawn the climate-sceptics network together, mobilised via blogs, and has renewed tensions in the Coalition as it seeks to unite under Tony Abbott's leadership after a year of infighting.
Senator Heffernan, a former member of the Howard government, has criticised Mr Spencer's supporters for not doing more to end his hunger strike.
''I think it's barbaric that we're all sitting around here wondering how long the bloke is going to last … I think they, absolutely this afternoon, should go and get him, and take him to hospital,'' Senator Heffernan said.
He said the land-clearing regulations were flawed but not all land was suitable for farming.
''I'm used to being booed down,'' Senator Heffernan said after the rally. ''People sometimes don't like to hear what they need to hear.''
In contrast, Senator Joyce, who was elevated to Opposition finance spokesman in last month's reshuffle, was cheered by more than 200 demonstrators who waved placards and Eureka flags.
''The Australian people are starting to say we've had enough of being signed up to these agreements, where you get the kudos, or the happy clapping in Bali or some conference, but the bill goes home to the working families, the bill goes home to the family farm,'' Senator Joyce said.
A spokesman for the Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, said the Government had urged Mr Spencer to seek medical attention.
Last month Mike Kelly, the Labor MP for local electorate, Eden-Monaro, travelled to Mr Spencer's farm to meet him on behalf of Mr Rudd, but Mr Spencer apparently refused to see him.
The spokesman said the state land-clearing legislation was introduced more than 10 years ago, and no action taken by the Federal Government in relation to climate change had altered the way that farmers could use their land.
''The Government believes this matter should be settled through the legal system,'' the spokesman said.
The Climate Sceptics Party had been promoting Mr Spencer's cause, its president, Leon Ashby, told the Sydney Morning Herald.
Yesterday's event was more successful than a rally on the issue, which had been planned for last week outside Kirribilli House. It was cancelled after only a handful of people promised to attend.
A former ABC radio science presenter, Joanne Nova, also known as Joanne Codling, is also trying to mobilise support for Mr Spencer. She runs a Perth-based climate sceptics website.
Ms Nova and her partner, David Evans, also a prominent climate sceptic, attended the United Nations Bali climate change conference with the support of The Heartland Institute, a US research institute that is campaigning against efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and against research that links passive smoking to cancer.
Mr Spencer's daughter Sarah said her father had lost a lot of weight and was increasingly weak but was mentally healthy.
''We've all vowed that until he's not of sound mind, it's his choice whether he stays up there or comes down.''
The president of the NSW branch of the Australian Medical Association, Brian Morton, said Mr Spencer's long-term health could be seriously affected by the hunger strike.
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