Coalition Fishing Policy

[Shane Boese]

SUPPORTING RECREATIONAL FISHING

Recreational fishing is one of our most popular national pastimes with

over three million Australians wetting a line at least once a year. The
Coalition Government is a strong supporter of recreational fishing and
has long recognised its significant benefits – for families, for personal
health and for the economy.
The Coalition Government will continue to invest in practical
programmes to enhance recreational fishing experiences, and will work
with recreational fishers to ensure the continued development of the
sector.
(i) Recreational Fishing Community Grants Programme
The Coalition’s landmark $15 million Recreational Fishing Community
Grants Programme (RFCGP), announced during the 2004 election, has
been an outstanding success.
The programme provides grants of up to $100,000 for projects which
enhance recreational fishing experiences and has now funded 400
projects Australia-wide, including boat ramps, access pontoons,
restocking waterways and fish cleaning facilities.
The Coalition Government will commit funding of $15 million to extend
the RFCGP for a further three years.
(ii) Updating the National Recreational Fishing Policy
The existing National Recreational Fishing Policy (NRFP) dates from
1994 and is now out of step with more recent changes to institutional
and operational arrangements. It provides insufficient practical
guidance on contemporary issues of importance to recreational fishers.
The Coalition Government will update the existing policy in consultation
with recreational fishers and State and Territory Governments, with a
view to developing a co-ordinated national approach to issues affecting
recreational fishing now and over the next decade.
Strengthening and Protecting Australia’s Fishing Industry
16
(iii) Recfish Australia
Recfish Australia is recognised in federal legislation as the peak body
representing recreational anglers in Australia.
The Coalition Government will continue to recognise Recfish as the
national peak body and will provide $100,000 annually for three years
to support Recfish in providing high quality policy advice to
government, and to assist it in its work representing Australia’s anglers.
The Coalition Government will also provide additional funding, on a
dollar for dollar basis up to $100,000, to match contributions made by
other recreational fishing organisations to Recfish Australia.
(iv) No Recreational Fishing Levy

The Coalition opposes a recreational fishing levy or “tackle tax”.

[Shane Boese]

For the record The Fishing Party is supporting the Colition in the senate on the GVT we have put our preferences as follows 1 Fishing Party, 2 Fishing Party 3 National (Boswell) 4 Liberal, 5 Liberal, 6 Liberal, 7 National, 8 National.

[GES]

Quote: {The Coalition Government is a strong supporter of recreational fishing and has long recognised its significant benefits – for families, for personal health and for the economy.}

Then who closed so much of the GBRMP to recreational fishers and legislated such draconian fines and the recording of a criminal conviction for ordinary people fishing (accidentally or otherwise) inside the, often very difficult to recognise, closed areas?

GES

[Hunta]

Quote: {The Coalition Government is a strong supporter of recreational fishing and has long recognised its significant benefits – for families, for personal health and for the economy.}

Then who closed so much of the GBRMP to recreational fishers and legislated such draconian fines and the recording of a criminal conviction for ordinary people fishing (accidentally or otherwise) inside the, often very difficult to recognise, closed areas?

GES

GES, I think they became the fishermans friend AFTER they realised they were being used as political pawns for the Democraps and the Greens movement. A bit like trying to shut the gate after the horse has bolted!

But dont worry Shane knows what hes doing! After all he doesnt want to let TFP win any seats, see: (http://www.ausfish.com.au/vforum/sho...d.php?t=119555) he just wants all the votes to go straight to the Nats... dont it make you wonder! (Why he; TFP, is even running that is ).

Hunta

[Boblee]

Not much doubt about why they are running when you look at this statement by Shane.

Hunta

In my opinion, Yes, Ron Boswell is more important. We, as fishermen, can get a lot more done by having an experienced politically savvy allay who is part of a major party (in this case Liberal/National coalition), than having a lone senator with little experience and no established political allays. Granted, the concept of holding a balance of power is appealing, but it is also a lottery with no guarantees. Taking our grievances to an established, proven team is by far the safest, strongest option.

Passing preferences on may be sound political policy but linking yourself solidly to only one of the majors certainly is not and nor is running just to capture those preferences on the false premise to fishers that you wish to represent them in Parliament.
It increasingly looks as if TFP is there purely as a foil for the coalition and to stop Fishers truly being represented by AFLP.
The above quote merely confirms this.

[artesian]

a bit of a difficult choice, vote for the party that brought us the barrier reef and other closures, or vote for Peter the Bald Rock Star ............

[Boblee]

No Artesian you only need to make that choice in the lower house which forms gov't, in the upper house you need to put your interests solidly in someone who will represent your particular interests and not be beholden to the rest of the party who will have quite wide priorities.
Doing as Shane suggests is just getting more of the same, except by supporting the coalition exclusively, what happens when/if labour gets in? oops.
To suggest that giving up your vote until the next election to have the next say is preferable to being able to deal on an individual bill basis where it really counts for the whole term is just plain wrong and in this case stinks of colusion.
IMHO if you want your interests (fishin etc) represented in the house of review you have two choices, TFP who have taken a punt (who will win) and sold out to the coalition or the AFLP who want to represent us in parliament as each new challenge presents itself irrespective of who presents it.
Note I am a coalition voter but would definitely not trust my environmental use and access to either party exclusively, they are in debt to too many other interests.