Notice of Public Meeting

[kc]

The Fishing Party (Qld) is holding its first public meeting in Cairns on Wednesday 23rd. 7pm. Croswell Hall. Grafton Street.

This is our first public forum and a chance to get involved in the future direction of this organisation and help mould the policies it will take to the election.

Our potential corporate sponsors are watching, the media is watching and other political parties are watching. If you ever wanted to make a statement that enough is enough!! This is it. No more chances, no more time, nobody else gives a sh--t.

If we draw a crowd, we will move forward with funds, members and credibility. If we don't this whole thing is over and we will deserve whatever is dished out by GBRMPA and their political masters.

NQ guys....the balls in your court.

Hope to see you there

KC

[Daintreeboy]

KC what's on the agenda?
Thanks, Mark.

[kc]

Introduction to the party
Introduction to some of the people behind it.
Launch of policy document including our GBR policy
Explanation of the political/electoral process
Progress report
Extensive Q & A

Regards

KC

[MTpockets]

I heard on the news this morning something about a federal election may be held as early as July..... if thats right, not much time left. Can I assume you are looking for a federal seat KC?
cheers
Les
EDIT : Thanks bugman, yes it was august now I think about it ... cheers

[bugman]

Les,

Earliest possible time for election is August 7.

That looks extremely unlikely and with the footy grand finals/Olympics and as yet untainted popularity of Latham - we're probably looking at October - and possibly latter Oct.

Bugman

[baldyhead]

I have some serious reservations about another political party ie the fishing party.
Lets look at some history. When the maggot set up Port Arthur using his Yank mates( Quote from Hansard " The only way that the Federal government will get National Firearm Legislation is to have a Massacre in Tasmania") the thinking shooters of this country tried to unite to fight the knee jerk reaction from the maggot and his mates. And so the Shooters Party was formed. We had rallys all over the country, collected many thousands of Dollars,joined up in huge numbers and elected John Tingle to power.He has done very well for his pocket but very little for the shooter.
The shooters of this country soon forgot the treachery poured upon them from both the State and Feds and the shooters party had no intestinal fortitude to stand up to the feds etc. Therefore we got shafted with our longarms and our handguns.
No one ever accounted for the many thousands of Dollars donated either.

Swapping preferences and doing deals is not the answer.

The real problem that we fishers have are the GREEN ARSED BASTARDS who are in Executive GOVERNMENT Positions within GBRMPA and QFS, these are the people that the fishers must target, not the politicians as the politicians come and go (elections, retirements etc) and they only sign the laws into power having little regard for the consequences, but the "GABS" remain wanting more and more restrictions placed upon us, never letting up until we have nothing left. I have had personal experience with GABS in QFS,Natural Resources and EPA and know how they operate.
The ordinary bloke in the street is in the process of having all of his rights and traditional ways stripped from him whether its fishing, shooting, hunting, camping, 4 wheel driving, or just about any recreational pursuit that one can imagine by these GABS.
Another political party will solve very little as this is not the way to do it.
The new regulations MUST be challenged in the COURTS as Eddie Mabo proved. Eddie Mabo had the right idea and the very capable people guiding him in the Land Rights issue showed that it can be done.
Eddie simply won the right to own his Island proving to the Courts that he had CUSTOMARY,HISTORICAL and TRADITIONAL ties with the Land and Sea.
Here is something to think about ! If 1000 fishers united( all being members of the FISHING PARTY) and put GBRMPA on notice ( using the correct legal processes) that they reserved the right to Customarily, Historically and Traditionally fish on the GBR and to not recognize GBRMPA's Zones then follow it through to completion.... Oh what a Party we would have!

Anyway thats my opinion and yes I will be @ KC's meeting on Wednesday nite and will bring some fishing mates along as well.
Hope to see a lot of u guys too !
Baldy ::)

[cHiCo]

An easier to way to find the venue:
Croswell Hall is at Cairns State High School on Sheridan Street.
Cheers

[baldyhead]

The entrance to Crosswell Hall is actually in Grafton Street about 100m north of Upward Street.
C U there !
Baldy

[kc]

Look forward to a mag at the meeting baldy. If you have a better way I would love to hear about it. REACT are going down the legal challenge path, we are attacking the same problem but from a different direction. The one glaring example of the power of a sporting organisation being organised into a voting block is the NRA in Amercia.

I don't want to draw any comparisons on a policy level but clearly, at a political level the one thing rec fishers have in spades...is numbers.

Regards

KC

[Brissyguy]

Hey Kev,

When will we see a SEQ meeting ???
Cairns is a little far for most of us down here to get too.

Cheers,
Rich.

[cHiCo]

The entrance to Crosswell Hall is actually in Grafton Street about 100m north of Upward Street.
C U there !
Baldy

Yep pretty sure a student at the school knows that mate ;). Just people seem to find places alot easier if the street names are more common to them and even big landmarks.

Cheers

[baldyhead]

SOME people, going on past experiences have gone home, without attending meetings, because they did not realise that the Croswell Hall, (situated in the grounds of Cairns High) has its entrance in Grafton Street.
cheers
Baldy

[nonibbles]

Good luck with the meeting KC. I can't be there - long walk from Townsville and on a school night too! You ARE doing a good thing, keep the faith.

[baldyhead]

We went to the meeting,peeing down with rain outside, and listened to the guest speakers with interest, KC was brilliant, kept the crowds interest at all times, spoke very well on a variety of subjects, including some curly ones, answered all questions put to him with reasonable answers and where he didn't know the answer, said so without any bullsh#t. That was one of the best meetings that I have ever attended and with KC @ the helm I believe that the Fishing Party has a great future. An important part of that future is the members contribution so we ALL have to help in any way that we can and one way to do that is to get your fishing mate to join and encourage him/her to get their mates to join too. My wife and I and 7 of our mates joined tonite. Bravo KC. Thank you for inviting us to be involved.

[NQCairns]

Here Here Baldy, was a cracker of a meeting and I am sure it made members out of many that do not have internet access so were not previously as well informed as us Ausfishers ;D.

We were told that the meeting could only have taken place because of the hip-pocket help of a few local businesses. I now have a few shops to dedicate my recreational fishing dollar in the region.

Anyone got the full list?

[Daintreeboy]

Cairns Tackle and Bait, Erskines, Bransfords, tablelands SUNFISH, Mitchells Marine, Bill's Marine......hope that's it, plus the guy Gary Smith who spoke and is a Teacher at the School so got a good deal on the hall.

ROFL I was the clown who asked the question about the Crown of Thorns! Good on me! ;D

[baldyhead]

Bills Marine, Cairns Tackle and Bait, Erskines, Bransfords, Mitchell's Marine, Boatscene, Peter Todd @ AquaCat, these are the ones that I remember but I'm sure there were more.
I asked the one about indigenous fishing in green zones....BUT we won't go there ha ha ha ha

[NQCairns]

Twice or 3 times Baldy he he!. There's always one in every crowd :D. No prob just muckin. I sorta guessed it was you ;D. KC will remember you also, think he started to sweat. He won 2 extra future members apart from me because of the meeting.Thanks for the full list. cheers nq

[cHiCo]

good old mr. smith aye. Good stuff to see the meeting go through well.Couldnt be there myself but will ask smithy and another teacher at school how it all went. Good work KC, read the article you featured in the Cairns Post anyway. Cheers

[dasher]

Good effort guys. ;D Saw an article on the news (albeit a bit small) so we're on the way. ;D ;D

[cHiCo]

how many people ended up there, roughly??

[kc]

Hi all,

Back home & at the desk after a 1400k round trip. Didn't we stir up Cairns talkback radio this morning!!. The presenter at the ABC had to ask on air to stop calling about the fishing party!!

Thanks to all who attended (about 250) and the wonderful input. Collectively the people in that room knnew more about the GBR than any room full of geeks the GBRMPA could ever hope to muster.
I have been on radio and with journos on the phone the whole way home. The RAP/Split reef thing is a big hit because we have GBRMPA's own science to back it up.
Sponsorship has been in redline mode all day from some very big players so it looks like $$ is not going to be an issue.

Last night may well become a redletter day in the future of recreational fishing in this state and maybe even this country.

Good job...and yeh baldy......thanks for THAT!! question!

Just remember...........no one likes a smart arse.

I Fish & I Vote is finally going to mean something!!


Cheers

KC

[Daintreeboy]

The second time he asked was brilliant. Your answer was spot on!!! ;)

[jockey]

"answered all questions put to him with reasonable answers and where he didn't know the answer, said so without any bullsh#t."

A poltician who admits when he doesn't know something? That's new.

[kc]

I ain't no politician!!

Just a redneck fisho with the gift of the gab and a willingness to have a go and never die wondering!!

KC

[jockey]

yet