Lobby groups. Your opinion.

[Big_unit]

Kev,
I am standing right there beside you and all the guys. I want to be a member that contributes the best way he can. If I was to tick the " Dont care" box I wouldnt be writing this or anything prior to this.

I need information along with some guidance from the senior guys. I feel that if more people are involved and informed that this party will have a base that is unbreakable. I dont see any future in waiting for good things to happen, we have to make it happen.

Its time to get together and create useful long term solutions to these communication issues.

I feel that the direction has got to come from the leaders.

The dormancy that has been present lately is damaging the party both in the short & long term.

Everything I have written here, I have said before one way or another. It is time for answers, solutions & action.

Cheers
James

[Big_unit]

James I really don’t know what you really expect for $7 pa, from fishermen that have volunteered their time (and money) to try and correct the injustices currently being pushed onto recreational fisherpersons. This is not a football club it is a political party and such there will always be backroom work that will not be made public for various reasons. You want some sort of professional third major party that has only contested one election with zilch funding; I’m thinking you assume the greens were overnight hits??? It took the greens 20 years to get where they are today and with support from recreational fisherpersons I am sure we can make a difference at the next election. Derek Bullock has posted some excellent information recently and I wonder how many emails you sent to TFPQ with your thoughts on these posts and your ideas as to what we should do. Maybe you consider a political party should think for all 800,000 recreational fisherpersons, hmmm 6 – 12 people deciding your fate??? We can have meetings, would you come up with an agenda????? All our current submissions are freely available on the website. Would you like us to print out the submissions (or better still, you could volunteer) and send them out as a newsletter? You ask for meetings, which are going to achieve nothing more than an excuse for husbands to get out for a drink. If you want to become involved read post’s such as Derek is posting, form an opinion and email TFPQ what you want done about it, or at least your thoughts on it.

For those that are not members of TFPQ please be aware you don’t have to be a member to post on the forum or send constructive emails.

I paid the $22, that was the prescribed membership fee. If its not enough then perhaps the executives should raise the fee, dont complain that the fee set by TFPQ is not enough. I have been told that one member kicked in $100000 to the party, Where did that money go ? How many more significant donations have been made ?

Your right its not a football club but it is a registered political party. A political party should be professional and accountable to its members as many football clubs are.

It may have taken the Greens 20 years to be a force, I dont think we have 20 years to be recognised as a force. Time is not on our side. Sitting back and waiting for people to come up with solutions may not be the best way, perhaps encouraging members with thought provoking discussions would be more suitable.

6 - 12 people who are in the loop, 800,000 who are not in my opinion informed on the issues.

I would participate and develop thoughts/issues given the knowledge and networking that a group discussion would offer.

I would gladly volunteer my time provided that TFPQ at an executive level showed some accountabilty & leadership.

I disagree with your opinion that a TFPQ meeting would be an excuse for members to go out drinking together. Your view surely is not accepted widely within the party is it ?

Lastly while ever the executives of TFPQ dont listen and continue to pass the buck, the party may not see the next election.

Do you think you provided a reasonable and practical solution to this issue ?

I feel that to be progressive TFPQ needs to adopt some giudelines for keeping members informed whilst providing direction.

I feel you have gone into a very defensive mode which has not provided any solutions.

You have 2 choices here,

1) Write me off as a whinger, who tried to cause problems.

or

2) Use the issues, ideas & solutions I have bought up and create a progressive & practical set of guidelines for the parties benefit.

[DaneCross]

We post here regularly as our most effective communications forum and if you feel you are in the dark as to what we are up to I can only suggest you read more of this forum.

Every submission, every issue and every cause we fight...you will read about it HERE!

The newsletters, which we would like to produce more regularly are an expense which we just can't keep expecting individuals to pay for....(donations gladely accepted)

We post also on Fishnet and a couple of other sites.

We get a regular run on Talking Fishing on 4BC and a mention on a regular basis in most fishing magazines and BIAQ newsletters.

James, beyond what we are already doing, I have no solution.

How about an 'e-newsletter'? A cheap, bulk emailing program such as 'MailList Controller' might be a more direct/personal way of communicating to members. It seems you are relying on your members to have internet access (by posting issues here and other sites), you may as well email them directly. Just a thought
DC

[banshee]

Has anybody thought to approach Bush'n'Beach or QLD Fishing Monthly to run a monthly newsletter,surely these QLD based mags would do it gratis.

[kc]

Hmmm! E newsletter is certainly something we can and will do....trouble is only about 5% of members provided email adresses.

As for "dormancy" I guess we really have a problem if members and supporters think we have been dormant. Have they seen the GBRMPA review submission and the Animal Welfare Act submission?? Any idea the work that went into those??

Meeting in Brisbane/Sydney/Cairns(2)/Townsville & Ayr, all during the last 8 weeks as well as communication with Government/Ministers/Senators/EPA's both state & Federal.

I have tried to rely on the existing communication tools such as this site to "get the word out"....a big issue for us was the Great Sandy Straights re-zoning. Gary and I travelled to Hervey Bay, attended a meeting with 500 locals (from which the Fraser Coast Branch was formed) and compiled a very lenghty and detailed submission.

When advice was posted here for anyone wishing to view the submission....I only got 2 people interested enough to want to read it!!

I post my personal email and phone number regularly for anyone wanting to discuss or bring up issues and get the odd call from interested parties but really very few.............I guess what I would really like is some ideas. How best do you (all) think we can communicate better?

We already send press releases and articals to fishing mags (including Bush & Beach), some they publish, some they choose not to (too political?)....trouble with most of these is that we are talking 30,000 print runs (max) and this does not get to the 500,000+ anglers in the state.

Tackle shops?? Hard nut to crack but we are talking to AFTA (Australian Fishing Tackle Association) and BIAQ (Boating Industry Association of Qld) about this very issue. Difficult part is they are apolitical organisations.

If anyone who can string a few words together wants to draft up articals/stories or raise issues that they think are important to TFPQ, please just run them past me for a final edit/approval and fire away....the more times our name appears in print, clearly the better, just so long as the message is accurate.

I guess this all harks back to the old "ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country" line!!

Those of us driving this "thing" could really use some help, input ,ideas and above all energy........so far, outside a very few, the silence is deafening.

Regards

KC

[gif]

Basically I hear KC asking for a volunteer to put together a regular newsletter in an email format. He needs more hands on the pumps.

KC would have to check the final version - but someone would need to write up the "What's happening" and to chase up a few for the details.


Any member volunteers?

[kc]

Sorry to be late on this thread....work pressures over Christmas have been enourmous.

James is right to critisise the level of communication we are able to have with members...but, this takes resources beyond our capabilities. Even something as simple as a newsletter production and mail-out is about a $1000 exercise and this comes out of someones personal pocket...not party funds.

I also need to make it clear.....there is and never was a $100,000 donations (mores the pity).

The largest donation we ever had was $1000 from a major boat company.

Every cent we raised with memberships and donations was spent on the election, plus about $10,000 out of a personal pocket....all of which is declared to the Electoral Commission as required.

Back to the issues.

We post here regularly as our most effective communications forum and if you feel you are in the dark as to what we are up to I can only suggest you read more of this forum.

Every submission, every issue and every cause we fight...you will read about it HERE!

The newsletters, which we would like to produce more regularly are an expense which we just can't keep expecting individuals to pay for....(donations gladely accepted)

We post also on Fishnet and a couple of other sites.

We get a regular run on Talking Fishing on 4BC and a mention on a regular basis in most fishing magazines and BIAQ newsletters.

Personally (at individual expense) I have travelled to Sydney for a meeting with the board of AFTA, to Brisbane for a meeting with the board of BIAQ, to Cairns for a meeting with Bob Katter, to Townsville for a meeting with the GBRMPA review committee, Ayr to meet the new chairman of QSIA and posted notices on all relavent issues on this site and our party web site....the dissapointing thing is that despite this, we still don't seem to get the message out.

The last newsletter issued an invite to attend and/or have input into the AGM......other than the executive we had three (3) members attend!! That said, Airlie beach is a long way from anywhere and as such we have moved our "base" to Cairns.

James, beyond what we are already doing, I have no solution. We have some great people both as members and guys like Derek and Gary (who are not) who are absolutely brilliant at posting issues and information. We have tireless guys like Daryl, always at it, always helping and always giving of his time. Members like Dave Donald and Gary Smith who are prolific writers in fishing magazines and always keep issues at activities of TFPQ in the press and all of them do it for free. Do it because they believe in the cause and ultimately, I guess, believe in the people involved in this.

The comment about the greens having a 20 year headstart on us is very true. They do, and they have funding and structure and PR and mainstream media support....and, and, and.yet despite all this, after just 7 months in existance and no money we outpolled them North of Mackay.

This was a great start and the fact that we are now being "courted" by all sides of politics is gratifying, it still leaves us a long, long way short of where we need to be.

What I will offer, as I have in the past, to James and anyone else with a bit of fire in the belly. If you relly want to get involved...DO. Form a branch, get a few like minded mates together and form a branch...hard, thankless, time consuming and draining!! There is a standing offer that myself, or one of our executive will fly/drive to where-ever for a formation meeting.....get involved. This is YOUR party and involvement does not stop at $7 a year for 3 years....you will get out of this what you put in. Sadley...apathy continues to be our enemy......lets make it really clear....SHE WON'T BE RIGHT...MATE. We are on a hidding to nothing. TFPQ may not be the answer....but right now, from where I sit, it is the best chance we have.

In the grand scheme of things we have around 1000 members and less than 1% of these who actually contibute (beyond said $7 a year).................I have to say it is pretty bloody disheartening. If I had personally invested the time and money I spend on this to just going fishing, life would be a lot simpler................trouble is we have a tiger by the tail and could really use some help hanging on. So James....how about it?

Regards

KC

[Big_unit]

I will do it.

Am I going to be supported by other members ?

I think the first newsletter needs to go out via normal land mail to ensure every member recieves it with a questionaire asking for basic information updates eg;

Member contact info -
Name.
Member Number.
Address.
Phone numbers, Telephone, Fax & Mobile.
Email address/s.

Ask if they have any concerns/complaints/suggestions regarding the TFPQ.

Ask if they require membership forms or TFPQ information for new members.

I think that may be a good start, I am sure other members may be able to add to this.

Cheers
James

[stevedemon]

Hi all
ok james your writing is fine your message came across queit clear
For all ausfish memebers there is some thing on Current affairs or today/tonight about the fishing industry from the public's and the D.P.I point of veiw tonight might get some good info

James and all Memebers of the Fishing Party try hitting Webby up for a spot in the Bush'n Beach and contact Steve from Fishing Monthly
sorry Webby don't like to put people on the spot or in the spot light of singularitybut I think that in these case the word really needs to get around and any help is well worth the while if it is going to see that our children's children are going to experinence the same enjoyable relaxation of fishing for the future as we do out on the water

Cheers
Steve

[kc]

Thanks for your offer of help James. We have about 1000 members on a data base including names, adresses and member numbers. It is still a $600 job contacting these by snail mail.

Email me your private (e) adress and I will email the data base.

Regards

KC

[PinHead]

Hi all
ok james your writing is fine your message came across queit clear
For all ausfish memebers there is some thing on Current affairs or today/tonight about the fishing industry from the public's and the D.P.I point of veiw tonight might get some good info

James and all Memebers of the Fishing Party try hitting Webby up for a spot in the Bush'n Beach and contact Steve from Fishing Monthly
sorry Webby don't like to put people on the spot or in the spot light of singularitybut I think that in these case the word really needs to get around and any help is well worth the while if it is going to see that our children's children are going to experinence the same enjoyable relaxation of fishing for the future as we do out on the water

Cheers
Steve

I doubt the editors/s of any fishing publications want to get too involved in anything political. That may affect their sales figures or perhaps advertising revenue...I think they would much rather remain apolitical.

[thumps]

KC


i recently had a phone conversation with a member of a fishing group that is a-political


is it true that TFP is a federal based and unable at this time to deal with specific State issues?

but rather deal with state issues through the federal system?



just trying to clarify how effective TFP is on State matters at this point

[Derek_Bullock]

I will do it.

Am I going to be supported by other members ?

I think the first newsletter needs to go out via normal land mail to ensure every member recieves it with a questionaire asking for basic information updates eg;

Member contact info -
Name.
Member Number.
Address.
Phone numbers, Telephone, Fax & Mobile.
Email address/s.

Ask if they have any concerns/complaints/suggestions regarding the TFPQ.

Ask if they require membership forms or TFPQ information for new members.

I think that may be a good start, I am sure other members may be able to add to this.

Cheers
James

James

Have sent you an email with details for setting up an email address/account specifically for the newsletter. If you need a hand setting it up give me a yell.

Cheers and congratulations for taking this on. Dont be surprised if you dont get a lot of help as most people are quite happy to whinge about something but fall very short when it comes to doing something about it. Just ask Kev Collins.


Derek

[kc]

Hi Thumps,

To answer your question, In Qld, (with no upper house/senate) we have less opportunity to influence outcomes (at this stage) and look to federal elections (senate) to make a "statement".

Once we can post some seriuos numbers (like the 20.6% in Weipa) we can demonstrate to Government (at both state & federal level) that fishos will actually vote to protect their "patch".

That does not mean however that we don't take on state issues (such as Hervey Bay/GSS zoning).......we need to take issue with every threat to our rights to enjoy our lifestyle choices.....and most of these end up being state....it is just that the federal system gives us the best chance of making a major "fuss" and eventually beining noticed.

If any government, suddenly started to recognise that fishing party preferences, were actually more "valuable" than green party preferences it would see a major shift in policy at all levels. This won't happen however without major support from within the ranks of recreational fishers.

Regards

KC

[Big_unit]

Look I am not so great on the issues but my way of helping is going to be ensuring that everyone who is interested in knowing what is happening generally within the party is kept informed. I have sent Kev the new email address which is -

TFPQNewsletter@ausfish.com.au

Once I know what is expected from me and Kev has given the OK for everything I will start putting it together, I envisage that members should receive the newsletter around the end of this month.

Cheers
James