Hunters, shooters need MP
RECENTLY the federal politicians took on the Canberra press gallery in a shootout.
It was a friendly affair put on by the Federal Parliamentary Friends of Shooters. This is a great initiative led by Senator Bridget McKenzie and Sam McMahon with the Shooting Industry Foundation of Australia.
Its purpose is to familiarise journos with shooting, firearms and hunting so that from an informed position they can better understand the issues that face us.
The Northern Territory was very well represented by Senator Sam McMahon and Solomon MP Luke Gosling.
Both also shot at the NT Field and Game Pollie shoot in March 2021.
They have shown by their actions in parliament on the range that they are great supporters of hunting and shooting.
The roots of this shoot go back decades to when Field and Game vicepresident Graham Eames used to take former prime minister Malcolm Fraser duck hunting.
NT Field and Game has held three such clay target events and I regularly hunt with Gerard Maley.
Today it has evolved into these type of come and try days for pollies and the press.
Mr Gosling said: “I’m a proud member of the Federal Parliamentary Friends of Shooters and we’ve had some great events in the last six months. Our annual Pollies versus Press Gallery shoot at the
Canberra Clay Target Shooting Club was a great day and was an excellent chance to get together with industry and promote law-abiding shooting!”
Engaging our politicians on the range is critical to good law making and I applaud all those who put their prejudice and misgivings about firearms away and took a little walk on the wild side.
Sport Minister Kate Worden shelved her apprehension last year and had a crack at hitting clay targets. So did Lia Finocchiaro and Marie-Clare Boothby.
I have also hunted magpie geese with NT Senate candidate Jacinta Nampijinpa Price. Lingiari candidate Damien Ryan recently toured the NTFGA range and understands our commitment to waterfowl hunting, wetland conservation and the value of sporting clays as a perfect recreation in this hot and humid climate.
Voters are resigned to the fact that they have little say in the big picture items, but lifestyle is something tangible.
All Territory politicians, aspiring or incumbent, should realise that hunting and shooting are integral to that lifestyle and listen acutely to what NT Field and Game have to say. There are 16,000 registered firearm owners in the NT plus spouses and close relatives of voting age. That is a sizeable chunk of the voters. All of these people will cast a vote, you can be assured. I believe this because they have proved to be compliant by taking all the measures required to own a firearm.
Fishermen are probably not so likely to turn up to the polling booth, yet we have a Minister for Recreational Fishing.
Go figure. It is time we had a Minister for Hunters and Shooters.