The Shooters' Party

Anglers are reminded the Legislative Council Select Committee on Recreational Fishing, of which Robert Brown, MLC is Chair, has called for submissions from individuals, businesses and fishing groups.

Submissions must reach the Committee by Friday March 19.

The Committee will look at recreational fishing in NSW, both coastal and inland, and examine how it is managed. There are more than 500,000 fee-paying recreational fishing licence holders in NSW, and the inquiry will look at the benefits and opportunities improved recreational fisheries may represent for the fishers.

Terms of reference for submissions can be found on the Committee’s website at: http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/fishinginquiry.

Submissions can be emailed to fishinginquiry@parliament.nsw.gov.au or mailed to the Director, Select Committee on Recreational Fishing, Parliament House, Sydney NSW 2000.

The Committee will shortly announce the dates and venues for public hearings at locations along the coast and inland.

With Parliament resuming next week activities around the House are stepping up ahead of the new sitting year.

Although last year ended in disappointment with the then Premier, Mr Rees, declining to negotiate in good faith on our Bill, we do expect a better outcome in 2010. Negotiations with the new Premier will resume from the point at which Mr Rees withdrew last year, and with good intent on both sides, we have no doubt a satisfactory agreement can be reached which would see volunteer conservation hunters culling feral animals in some of our more remote National Parks.

Remarkably, it will be 18 years this May since John Tingle had his infamous “chat” with the then Police Minister Ted Pickering about setting up a political party to “look after the interests of gun owners in New South Wales”. For those can’t remember, the response of the Minister was more than dismissive, and John was riled enough to immediately establish “The Shooters Party”. He stood at the next election – and won a seat in the Upper House and only retired in May 2006 after a pioneering 11 years in Parliament. We all owe John a real debt of gratitude because without his vision and foresight, shooters and hunters in New South Wales would not enjoy the benefits they now have.

Apart from now having two MLCs in Parliament to keep a weather eye on legislation, which would impinge on the rights of firearm owners, we have had the Safe Shooting Grants under the Ministerial Advisory Council on Shooting Clubs, which since 1995 has funded 330 projects to the tune of $5.4 million dollars.

It appears for some reason (a fit of the “cranks” perhaps?) the Government under former Premier Nathan Rees delayed the approval of the latest round of MACOSC grants to shooting clubs around the State. Recommendations were made by the MACOSC committee several months ago, but needed executive approval before they could be distributed. There will be discussions with the new Ministers at the earliest opportunity to ensure the funds are distributed.

The Shooters Party was successful last month in setting up a Select Committee inquiry on recreational fishing, both coastal and inland.

Robert will chair the Inquiry, which will take a thorough look at recreational fishing, and the way it is currently managed. There are more than 500,000 recreational fishing licence holders in NSW and we will examine the benefits and opportunities that improved fisheries may represent for fishers.

The Committee is calling for submissions from interested people and organisations, and there will be public meetings in Sydney and coastal and inland regions during April-June next year. Details can be obtained from the Committee’s website http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/fishing inquiry or the Secretariat on 02 9230 3544.

Committee Members
The Hon Robert Brown MLC (Chair) Shooters Party
The Hon Tony Catanzariti MLC (Deputy Chair) ALP
Mr Ian Cohen MLC Greens
The Hon Rick Colless MLC Nationals
The Hon Charlie Lynn MLC Liberal Party
The Hon Christine Robertson MLC ALP
The Hon Mick Veitch MLC ALP

TSP’s Web site now securely accepts donations and annual membership electronically via PayPal. Payments by credit card, as well as by direct credit to the Shooters’ Party are just a few clicks away.

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Any members who do not have specific approval to use a free e-mail address will be deleted from the system at end of business—1700hr AEST—19 September 2008.

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