The CFCV understands that the Liberals have struck a secret preference deal with the Greens, which will target Labor’s support, and weaken the Nationals chances in key marginal seats.
It’ll also put target shooting and hunting in danger.
The strategy
The strategy is simple and politically effective. The Liberals want to increase their number of seats at the expense of Labor. So do the Greens. The Greens want to become the dominant force on the left of politics, supplanting the ALP.
By working together the Liberals can win more seats – and so can the Greens. This strategy will play out in rural Victorian seats for the Libs and urban (particularly inner urban) seats for the Greens. This strategy has already had a trial run in the by-elections of Polwarth and South-West Coast.
The consequences of this for shooters – as well as a whole host of other groups whose activities are at risk from the Green’s policies – will be dire.
The Greens side of the deal will preference the Liberals over the Nationals, which will weaken their position as the ‘shooter friendly’ half of the coalition. The Nats must be concerned about this.
Liberal + Greens = a bad combination
It is also a matter of historical fact that shooters have gotten more from Labor than the Liberals. Examples are the Firearms Consultative Committee, funding for range upgrades and a resumption of duck season. Compare that with the Howard years and the more recent attempt by the Coalition to ban the Adler federally.
Add the Greens to the mix and it gets worse. Here’s what the Greens stand for:
- No hunting
- No handguns
- No shooting ranges
- No funding for the shooting sports.
There’s no other way to put it – the Liberal – Greens deal will be bad for shooters.
The Greens now have two MPs in the lower house and five in the upper house. It is now only a matter of time before the Greens hold the balance of power.
When that happens, the result will make John Howard attack on the shooting sports look insignificant.
The test run
Reliable sources say the Polwarth and South-West Coast by-elections were ”test runs” for the deal, even though Labor was absent. They say it was a success, and will be a template for how they intend to allocate preferences in future elections.
We previously exposed the grubby deals at the by-elections, but didn’t realise it was part of a bigger plan hatched within one of Victoria’s major factions with the Liberal Party.
How should you vote for?
At this stage, it’s too early to say. We’ll provide that advice closer to the election.
There are some Liberals who are supportive of shooters however the Liberal Party has an exceptionally poor record when it comes to supporting shooters and the hunting and shooting sports. We will be closely monitoring the situation with both the Liberal Party and their candidates in the lead up to next year’s federal election and have more to say on this in due course.
We’re not suggesting voting Labor is a safe bet either, because we haven’t yet vetted who they’re putting up.
Our message to the major parties to be careful about pre-selection. If they put up people who aren’t on-message with the shooting fraternity, it’ll work against them. If the Libs go ahead with the deal with the Greens, it will make it very difficult for us to look past that.
What can you do?
UPDATE (9.12.15): THE LINK BELOW TO SEND AN EMAIL TO MR GUY HAS BEEN DEACTIVATED AS WE UNDERSTAND THE MESSAGE HAS GOTTEN THROUGH ‘LOUD AND CLEAR’. WE’RE SEEKING CLARIFICATION ON WHETHER THE ‘DEAL IS DEAD’. IF IT ISN’T, THEN WE’LL REACTIVATE THE LINK.
It’s easy. Send an email to Liberal leader, Matthew Guy and let him you’re not going to cop this deal. Let’s put pressure on him to speak with his head office, so they drop the deal and put the Greens last.
Click here to create that email using email clients and cc it to your local MP if you know who it is (or click here to find out who your local lower house MP is). Add paragraph breaks where they are needed. If you can’t create the email automatically, Mr Guy’s email address is matthew.guy@parliament.vic.gov.au.
Expect the response you receive to deny that the deal exists. That’s because preference deals are secret – and you’re not meant to know about them.
Finally, make sure your friends follow us online. Share this with them.
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I can not believe that the Liberal Hierarchy would even contemplate any deal with the Greens EVER. I have been a champion of the Liberal cause all my life. I would never vote informal but I will however vote foe any cause that gives the Greens any support. The alternative ? The Labor Party. You would have to be even sillier than they are, if that is possible. There must be a party that not only supports our sport but also understands how to run such a multi million dollar business, I mean The State of Victoria. Please let us take this place Victoria forward and regain our status as the great state we can be. Tony Low