In reference to the article in the Bendigo Advertiser dated 19 September, 2018 “Veac Report Splits Upper House Candidates” we should read between the lines and the motives of Shooters Fishers and Farmers Party Daniel Young MP in urging the State Government to ignore VEAC recommendations.
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Mr Young introduced a motion in parliament on 18 September 2018 to reintroduce recreational hunting activities at Winton Wetlands. The motion was supported by his tabling of a petition with only 513 signatures, presumably other duck shooters.
In keeping with its ethos “to renew the ecology of the reserve, growing its natural, scientific, cultural and environmental significance” the Committee of Winton Wetlands closed down duck shooting.
Winton Wetlands has over 36,000 visitors, compared to 26,000 duck shooters for the whole state or a measly point four percent of the population.
Winton Wetlands is an example of how ecological and cultural regeneration can protect threatened species, affect people’s lives positively and drive economic development through genuine nature tourism in partnership with indigenous communities.
Killing native waterbirds, in a “sport” that has also been described as “inhumane” cannot support ecological renewal or genuine nature tourism for the majority of Australians, and has been closed down in most States of Australia for these reasons.
Victoria’s small rural towns face significant unemployment and struggle financially (SGS Economics 2018).
We have many beautiful Wetlands that support a shift to genuine nature tourism activities for benefit of all towns within a “Cooee” of Wetlands, and beyond.
This will not be achieved with closure of Wetlands for a minority, nor should we allow a minority to dictate or impose a cruel sport on our struggling native waterbirds.
Marilyn Nuske, Animal Justice Party, Lower House Candidate Bendigo West
Chris McCormack’s letter ( Bendigo Advertiser, 20 September 2018 ‘High on rhetoric, short on fact’ ) made me absolutely laugh at his hypocrisy in lamenting Helen Lawrence’s letter on climate change.
His ‘facts’ are obviously snippets from Google which he has selectively chosen to support his beliefs – he seems to be suffering from a dreadful case of confirmation bias.
This is a terrible affliction of our current political class – rather than doing their jobs, they spend their time poking around on the internet, listening to conspiracy theorists, and then presenting this garbage back as ‘facts’ to support personal agendas and ideologies.
Our current political system is a disaster, and a huge part of it is the plethora of armchair experts in parliament who should spend more time focusing on the job of representing their electorates rather than their own personal crusades.
John Bray, Spring Gully
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