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Game Council: Shooters Party and Labor

Lee Rhiannon is a strong opponent of the NSW Game Council and is calling for it to be disbanded. The Game Council has never been self-funding as the Government said it would be, and it has not met it's objectives to control feral animals. Lee's research into the deals done to establish the Game Council in 2002 has exposed the ties between the Shooters Party MPs and NSW Labor.

Shooters deals with Labor

 Lee has introduced a private members bill to abolish the NSW Game Council and prohibit recreational hunting in national parks, state forests and public land.  The Game Council is an unaccountable body that puts public safety at risk, sucks millions of dollars of public money, inflicts unacceptable animal suffering and is a setback to the management of feral animals.

The setting up of the Game Council in 2002 was very controversial and there was widespread opposition to it.  Its establishment was an act of unashamed capitulation to the gun and hunting lobbies, legitimising recreational animal cruelty while risking an increase in feral animal populations. The Minister at the time promised that the Council would be self funding, but more than $11 million in public funding and millions in loans has been spent propping up the Game Council since 2002 – this is money that would be better spent developing an evidenced based, strategic plan using professionals to tackle invasive species.

The Game Council is a front for Labor’s relationship with the Shooters Party and is really about keeping the Shooters Party happy.  As part of the deal making between Labor and the Shooters Party, NSW's state forests have been lately opened up to recreational shooters, risking public safety and increasing animal suffering.  There is still currently a Shooters Party private members bill before parliament which if passed would broaden where recreational shooters can hunt to include national parks.  The NSW government has agreed to various demands by the Shooters Party for changes to gun ownership laws in recent years and there is no guarantee that shooting in national parks will not be next on the list.

Feral animals are a significant environmental problem in Australia.  But feral animal control should be undertaken in a scientific and controlled manner by professionals, not left to amateurs seeking weekend fun.  Currently hunters in state forests can club, stab, use bows and arrows, use pig-dogging and shoot feral animals within firing distance of homes, workplaces and popular recreation spots.  Even though the Labor Government put an end to the barbaric and destructive practice of duck shooting in 1995, the Game Council has reintroduced duck shooting.

Our public funds should be directed to effective pest management and eradication strategies.  The Game Council is an unacceptable drain on the public purse that should be shut down

 

Read through some background papers on the Game Council, the Shooters Party and its ties to Labor.

 

Latest news:

News Item Newcastle shootings should halt a further relaxation of NSW gun laws — by Alison Orme — last modified Jul 09, 2010 01:02 PM
Greens MP and Hunter spokesperson Lee Rhiannon is calling on the NSW government to back her private members bill for a ban on semi-automatic hand guns, following the Mayfield shooting which involved a prohibited .38 calibre handgun.
News Item Greens' bill abolishes Game Council and ends hunting state forests, national parks — by Alison Orme — last modified Jun 24, 2010 11:10 AM
Greens MP Lee Rhiannon was last night given urgent leave by the NSW Upper House to introduce her private members bill to abolish the NSW Game Council and prohibit recreational hunting in national parks, state forests and public land.
Page Cold-hearted deer hunter a 'criminal' — by Lee Rhiannon — last modified Jun 15, 2010 02:40 PM
BY NICOLE HASHAM 11 Jun, 2010 04:00 PM Govett Cres residents were sickened this week after finding a decapitated stag in a shallow creek just metres from their homes.
File Summary of Firearms Legislation Amendment Bill 2010 — by Alison Orme — last modified Jun 11, 2010 10:50 AM
 
News Item Labor and Shooters move to relax NSW gun laws as news of Cumbrian massacre breaks — by Alison Orme — last modified Jun 29, 2010 10:35 AM
Greens MP Lee Rhiannon has condemned the government for allowing the Shooters Party MP Roy Smith to today introduce a broad ranging private members bill designed to relax gun laws on the day of the West Cumbrian massacre which left 12 dead and 11 injured.
News Item NSW government wooing Shooters Party MPs with weaker firearms regulations — by susie — last modified Jul 09, 2010 02:13 PM
Greens MP and firearms spokesperson Lee Rhiannon said the new NSW regulations that water down gun control measures appeared to be an attempt to mend bridges with the Shooters Party following last year's falling out over their controversial Game and Feral Animal Control Bill that sought hunting in national parks.
News Item Broad based action in parliament protest to oppose hunting in national parks deal — by alisono — last modified Oct 28, 2009 02:46 PM
Environment and animal welfare groups, the public sector union, the Greens and a range of local community groups staged a colourful protest outside the NSW parliament to call on the NSW government to publicly declare that there will be no deal with the Shooters Party over hunting in national parks.
News Item PSA breaks Labor ranks: urges members to reject shooting in national parks — by alisono — last modified Oct 28, 2009 12:17 PM
The decision of the major NSW public sector union to criticise the Shooters Party plan to hunt in national parks should be the wake up call Premier Nathan Rees' needs to publicly declare the plan in any form will not be adopted, Greens MP Lee Rhiannon said yesterday.
News Item Robertson offers Shooters MPs new deal to hunt in national parks — by alisono — last modified Oct 21, 2009 09:54 AM
Greens MP and animal welfare spokesperson Lee Rhiannon has condemned the decision of the Environment Minister John Robertson to offer the Shooters Party a new deal to hunt in national parks (p.5, Sydney Morning Herald).
News Item Govt and Shooters vote to keep Game Council's finances under wraps — by alisono — last modified Sep 08, 2009 05:58 PM
Greens MP Lee Rhiannon has criticised the government for not supporting a Greens motion in the Upper House that would require the public release of the NSW Game Council's 30 year strategic plan and five year business plan. Minister Ian Macdonald also refused to answer Ms Rhiannon during Question Time as to why the Game Council had consistently failed to meet is annual reporting obligations, instead taking it on notice.
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