Victorian shooters hit with 20 year hunting moratorium
The state government has announced that hunting in Victoria will be suspended for the next two decades under a moratorium agreed to with the Greens.
The agreement, which has been struck as part of a preference deal ahead of November’s state election, has been met with enthusiasm from environmentalists who say our environment needs time to recover from the damage that hunters cause.
A government spokesman says hunters will be able to resume hunting in 2039, and thinks they won’t mind the wait.
“We’ve had nothing but positive feedback from environmental experts who say the agreement will keep everyone happy because it’s only 20 years”
Ok – so you can STOP PANICKING now. This story is NOT true.
It’s a story designed to get you to look at what could happen if this year’s state election produces the wrong result, and trust it got your attention.
The government has not made any decision on hunting and has not struck any deals with the Greens.
– or at least none that we know about.
The Greens think they are in with a chance
A few days ago the Herald Sun ran an article where the Premier, Daniel Andrews, said Labor would not form government with the Greens.
If entering into a coalition with the Greens made the difference between being returned to government, or banished to the opposition bench, then its pretty easy to guess what Andrews would do.
Even the Greens think they’re in with a chance. In the same article, Greens Leader, Samantha Ratnam, told the Herald Sun:
“The polls are showing that this is going to be a very close election … with quite possibly the Greens holding the balance of power after the result.”
Add to that that the Greens have a policy to ban hunting and raised the issue of duck hunting in parliament no less than 47 times during this last term, and it’s pretty easy to see what would happen to hunting if a Labor – Greens coalition was formed.
Our job is to try and make sure that doesn’t happen because if we did lose duck and other forms of hunting, it would be a long, long battle to get it back.
Just look at how easily we lost our semi-autos – and twenty years on, we’re no closer to getting them back.
What we do over the next few days could determine whether or not Victorian shooters will be able to go hunting next year. Or for the next 20.
Don’t leave it to chance
Support the CFCV’s fight to stop the Greens and anti-hunting and shooting activists by donating to our election campaign at www.firearmscouncil.org.au/donate
Your donation will go to supporting the right candidates and get our pro-shooting voting advice out to more and more shooters at this state election.
Written & authorised N Jackson, Melbourne