National Party queries GRMPA zoning

[TonyM]

I just saw on the news that the Nat's are asking for GRMPA to "please explain" how they handled the issue of zoning - mentioning the pressure exerted by the Greens, and that both recreational and commercial fishers were tricked...

How good is this to hear! Does this mean the Fishing Party can expect support from the Nationals, or is this a desperate attempt by the Nats to win our votes ???

Sure would like to see more news like this on the box ;)

[jaybee]

Nats are hand in hand with libs, its an election ploy, the more votes to the nats on preference go to the libs, they did the same with the farmers last fed election to win votes for the libs, you fish, you vote, make your own mind up.
cheers
Joe

[TonyM]

I feared as much Joe :-[

One can only live and hope - besides I made my mind up about my vote a while back ;)

[megafish71]

I'd reckon your dead right Jaybee. ??? ???

[Gazza]

ahhh the old "sugar vote trick" :-X :-X :-X
Don't care what anybody votes , but I'll chuck mine to a lesser party :-X :-X :-X
(if i have the choice?)
Don't think it will make the world blow-up ??? , but be good to shake the chain of the established ones. :-X :-X :-X in the interest of my fishing future.....

Selfish ,eh !! ;)

[kc]

Too little too bloody late. The national party are making noise after shafting us in the first place and every bloody one of them voting FOR the zonings in parliment. We have a copy of a letter from De-Anne Kelly (Federal member for Dawson) to Kemp (Federal Environment Minister) teling him that only 3% of the electrate....yes 3%.....were involved in recreational fishing and as such he should ignore us and help out the commercial guys (which he DID).

It is all well and good that she suddenly realises the error of her ways and starts sucking up to the rec fishing vote with an election looming. Too bloody late. If we achieve just one outcome in the next election it will be De-Anne losing her seat, anything else will be a bonus.

De-Anne Kelly, by defcato, is the real birthmother of The Fishing Party (Qld). Too bloody late De-Anne....way too late.

& all and sundry can bet their lives that her lackies are monitoring this web site..............read my lips.......brush up your CV boys..........your going to be unemployed.

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

Regards

KC

[reelcrazy]

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

Regards

KC

Here's something you probably already know, but it's worth repeating.

Even 3% can swing an electorate, particularly in the marginals.

In any electorate there's usually 10-15% undecided voters, and both major parties usually spend most of their resources targetting these voters, reasoning that their own voters are party faithful, and the other party's voters will remain faithful.

It's my belief that you would have far more effectiveness starting a recreational fishing association rather than a single interest party, for with an association the majors would be chasing you for your members votes, rather than you chasing votes from many electorates.

Even if you won a seat, you would be less effective than with an association of many members - it's a fact that single interest parties are only effective when the floor is balanced, and the single interest party member's vote is needed, the rest of the time you will be ignored, or around election time given lip service for your preferences.

It's also my belief that the real numbers for recreational fisherfolk are around 20-25%, with sympathy for the cause running a lot higher.

Throw in the folks who are directly and indirectly involved in servicing the recreational fishing industry, and you have a powerful lobby with some very significant numbers.

All it takes is someone to mobilise and direct, the intent is there, but it lacks direction.

If you want a real life model for what I'm saying, look at the history of the Greens - they developed into a very vocal and powerful lobby group long before they had respresentation on the floor. Even without sitting members they were able to influence government policy and steering committees.

It's my belief that's the direction that should be taken.

[nulla]

ReelCrazy

A single interest party has one advantage over a fishing association, it can get electoral funding. We already have an association - SUNFISH - and it hasn't schieved in big areas like RAP. With votes comes funding and the ability to get our message to the media. Politicians will take notice if we get the votes

Nulla

[reelcrazy]

ReelCrazy

A single interest party has one advantage over a fishing association, it can get electoral funding. We already have an association - SUNFISH - and it hasn't schieved in big areas like RAP. With votes comes funding and the ability to get our message to the media. Politicians will take notice if we get the votes

Nulla

Is that what the bottomline is here, electoral funding?

I've had a look at the Sunfish site, and the o so polite knitting circle letter exchanges, no wonder there's nothing happening.

No wonder they aren't published in the media, there isn't one ounce of newsworthiness in them, if I was an editor on the receiving end, I'd spike them too.

You don't need funding to start a viable and vocal grass roots organisation, you need passionate, controversial dialogue, words that will strike at the gut.

Everything I've read here about the intellectual chicanery and selective academic release of information is great grist for the media mill if the story is written correctly and succinctly, and I'm saying it's time to get down and dirty.

You don't get a polly's attention until you have them by the short and curlies - and journo's everywhere love a good stoush, it sells newspapers and advertising space.

Where are those stories about tourism threatening the reef? where's the coral mining story? where's the story about birds being killed on reef pontoons? Tourism polluting the reef?

Get yourself an ex Murdoch sub editor/journo looking for a byline to write these, you have enough choice quotes from the pollies, name names, get the subbies to put these stories on the local and international wires, there's hundreds of newspapers out there always looking for fillers, and if it's written correctly it will be published, particularly overseas.

Once that happens you'll get plenty of attention.

[kc]

I don't know how long you have been following our progress Reelcrazy and I appreciate where you are coming from but we already have some pretty significant skills within our organisation and a sound strategic plan. We are getting heaps of press, radio, TV and print. Have a rapidly growing membership base including a lot of the "big names" like Erskine, Modora and Dave Donald. We have decent funding from both members and corporate donations, a good policy platform and wide electoral appeal. We are targeting the 800,000 Qldérs who fish. This is a big base compared to what the greens started with.

Our short term goals is to get 4% of the vote. Not only does this give us electoral funding which will allow us to operate and lobby for the next 3 years but also official AEC acceptance as a recognised and legitimate political party. It gives us a number we can then demonstrate in targeted marginal seats in house of reps, both state and federal in 3 years time....and let me make it clear. We will not give preferences to parties paying "lip service". They want our numbers then they will have to listen and act.

Goal 2 is to actually get a senator elected. I take your point that unless we happen to be part of the balance of power "collective" then we won't make much difference on the floor but a senator has the staffing, resources and media appeal to fly the flag for rec fishing for the next 6 years and counter some of the silly science being used to justify the lock-outs. A senator also has a lot better chance of directly lobbying in the halls of power than any lobby group...no matter how well they are organised.

I have to say we have tried lobbying. The organised public submission phase of RAP which generated 30,000 submissions, mainly from rec fishers and many carrying up to 1000 signatures was the greatest effort rec fishers have ever undertaken. We were ignored!! We have (& I have) personally lobbied politicians for months and months. We either got no response or the very "lip service" you refered to. What is really cute is that now, they ring me...direct........too bloody little too bloody late!!

The only thing they care about is votes. Well it looks like we have a nice little swag of them coming our way and they are "not happy Jan" about it.

Don't despare that we are not being "controversial" enough for your liking..............the word is YET!!

We are just quietly doing our homework, getting our facts straight, planning and budgeting and biding our time.

You will see an awful lot more of us when the time is right. You seem like you are interested and want to have some input.....good!! Join up. We listen!!

Regards

KC

[whiteman]

KC

You're on the right track. I was sceptical at first but I've read with interest your recent articles and they have the right language to make an impact on voters. Getting a few high profile characters on as members can be a major boost if used correctly (ever thought of trying to sign up Rob Hirst, band member and co-writer of Midnight Oil, as I heard he likes fishing).

Have you got any feedback from the pollsters on how the party is tracking with the public?

[kc]

Hi Whiteman,

Sceptical is good. When we start to make headway with the sceptics then a lot of rec fishers are already converts.

Clearly NQ is our power base and the only poll result so far is a very unrepresentitive ABC North on line poll. It asked the question about would you vote for a fishing party and got about 36% yes. I am "sceptical" of the result...maybe a few over-enthusiastic "voters" but realistically from general feedback we have wide spread support amongst the rec fishing community and could get as much as 50% vote from those ranks. (that runs to 17% of the population).

Brisbane is a little harder because they don't have a RAP (yet) and we are just starting to target Brisbane with a membership drive based around.....Today The Great Barrier Reef...Frazer Island & Moreton Bay Next??

We are just getting the basics right at this stage. Our research, marketing plan, corporate sponsorship base, budgets, policies and profile. While we are fishos not politicians we still have the collective smarts to do this professionally and properly.

Everyone in Qld is going to know about I Fish & I Vote come election time.

Regards

KC

[agnes_jack]

KC
What happened to the tackle shop info packs and membership forms?
Cant help without info.

Tony ???

[kc]

Funny you should mention that Tony. 7 of us just spent 3 hours last evening collating papers and stuffing 800 envelopes. BIAQ gave us access to their data base and while this was not available from AFTA we downloaded 213 tackle shop addresses from yellow pages. Big job, and this morning I am off to the post office with 4 milk crates full of envelopes....

Sorry it has taken a while Tony but just getting to this point has taken a fair bit of resources. It's on the way.

KC

[agnes_jack]

Thanks for that KC.
You guys have taken on a mamoth task, I for one appreciate all your efforts, and am keen to assist with what I can.

Regards, Tony