Pensioners and the SIP

[Jim_Linden]

I notice in the local rag today an item in which Oppposition leader Mike Horan is calling for the Qld Government to exempt pensioners from having to pay for a SIP.

Mr. Horan suggests that the government should meet the cost of the proposed exemption to ensure that local fish stocking groups are not disadvantaged.

Just wondering what are your thoughts on this proposal?

For my own part, I'm opposed to such a move, for the following reasons:

1. Pensioners are a large, and increasing, proportion of the general population - hence, there is a significant potential loss of revenue. There is also the potential for self-funded retirees to push for the same exemption, further increasing the loss of revenue.

2. Any reliance on Government to "make up the difference" is fraught with danger. Governments nationwide are already warning of the cost of supporting our aging population - it's hard to see them happily picking up the cost of our pensioners' fishing licences for very long.

Mr. Horan makes reference to the exemption available to pensioners in NSW, but fails to mention that the consequent short-fall in licence revenue is not made up by the NSW Government.

Seems to me that the current $31.50 for a SIP could be a bit hefty for a single pensioner, and the purse strings could potentially be loosened a bit in this regard. But a total exemption would, I believe, see a very large hole appear in the funds available to continue and expand the great work that has been undertaken to date.

What say you?

Regards
Jim Linden

[Fitzy]

Hi Jim,
Saw the same load of absolute dribble from Horan in the Ipswich rag last week. Was going to ignore it until you raised the topic here. Anything to get his name in the paper & a feeble attempt to actually be seen to be the opposition leader.

While I am sympathetic to those he was trying to represent, though there are holes the size of Burdekin Dam in his logic.
The retirees are in a postion to spend much more time fishing becasue they are just that, retirees. There is also information to support the statement that the older anglers are more likely to have a greater impact upon these artifically created fisheries due to more fish being taken for eating. Fair enough too, that's part of why we stock them there in the first place. But someones got to pay for these fish that are taken.

I can tell you Jim, that if this halfwit Horan had half a show of actually having any imput on the protocols of how this scheme was put together, we wouldn't have the permit & therefore no stocked lakes for anyone. One needs to remember that the SIP was 12 years in the making (look back to the Burns Inquiry) & the very thought of it actually happening kept many a stocking group from folding many years ago. Chook raffles to get tedious after a while.
Now I can tell you the the Honorable Mr Horan has recently been in contact with FFSAQ, the peak body of fish stocking in Qld, to discuss policy & nothing to date has indicated this turn around.
I'm really tempted to air the half hearted paltry piece of crap that his opposition sent to FFSAQ in regard to freshwater fisheries recently. Fair dinkum, a kid coulda done better.
Now if any of the readers out there happen to know this idiot personally, pass on the address of this fine bulletin board, I'd love to debate this topic with him make a fool of him for all to see in the process.
Comments like this are only gonna dig that Lib/Nat hole a few feet deeper in Qld. They gotta be getting close to China by now.
Mr Horan should sit back & keep licking his electoral wounds for another term or two. His (& his predecessors) poor policy & decisions are what has landed them in the spot they're in right now, a political black hole. Can't see it on the upturn just yet.

Good topic for discussion Jim. What are your thoughts considering you are possibly one of those Mr Horan was attempting to represent & having a history of involvment in fisheries etc.

As Ever,

Garry Fitzgerald

[Brett_Finger]

Yah jim ya old pensior ;D
bouth you fellows have a fantastic grasp on this topic so i'll keep me mouth shut and sit on the sideline..know full well that you both have my total support,i'm just not smart enough to wade into this topic.
hookin,Brett (The Dumb Fella)

[Luke]

Relax fellas,
When did pensioners ever get anything they were promised anyway?????
Luke