Hunting battle: Andrews risks losing marginal seats and Labor loyalists

Victorian hunters have the numbers to swing six or more of Labor’s most marginal peri-urban and regional electorates into the Coalition’s hands.

Labor MP Jordan Crugnale (centre) has 1467 licenced hunters in her seat of Bass, which she holds on a margin of 102 votes, while Transport Minister Jacinta Allan (left) has 1429 hunters and Premier Daniel Andrews 590.

Hunters and unionists have warned a duck hunting ban risks the Andrews Government losing six or more marginal seats and alienating thousands of voters in its heartland electorates.

Premier-in-waiting Jacinta Allan has 1429 licenced hunters in her Bendigo East electorate, Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas 2348, Outdoor Recreation Minister Sonya Kilkenny 1252, Energy Minister Lily D’Ambrosio 913, Treasurer Tim Pallas 1229 and even Premier Daniel Andrews has 590 in Mulgrave.

Victoria’s latest Game Management Authority latest report states there are 59,682 licenced hunters in Victoria.

But Sporting Shooters Association of Australia Victorian hunting development manager David Laird said the numbers were even higher, given “for every licensed game hunter in the state, there are roughly four more recreational shooters” – about 200,000 all up.

“So much of the feedback we get about the threats to duck hunting comes from members who are target shooters but who see the attacks on duck hunting as an attack on all recreational shooters. They really do see it as the thin edge of the wedge,” he said.

Labor is at risk of losing hunters’ votes in its most marginal seats, as it comes under pressure from its inner-city MPs to sacrifice the outdoor pursuits of its traditional supporters to stop voters defecting to the Greens in Brunswick, Richmond, Northcote, Preston and Footscray.

The Weekly Times analysis of Game Management Authority data shows disaffected hunters could easily swing six of the ALP’s most marginal peri-urban and regional electorates into the Liberal opposition’s hands.

GMA postcode data shows the number of licenced hunters in the seats of Bass, Pakenham, Hastings, Ripon and Yan Yean far outweigh the thin voter margins of sitting Labor MPs.

Labor’s Jordan Crugnale holds the seat of Bass, stretching from Koo Wee Rup to Inverloch, on a razor-thin margin of 102 votes, in an electorate with 1467 licenced hunters.

Hunters have electoral power that politicians cannot afford to ignore.

Martha Haylett holds the seat of Ripon for Labor on a margin of 1268 votes, in an electorate with 2220 hunters.

Even the marginal electorate of Melton, held by Labor’s Steve McGhie on a margin of 1729 votes, has 1041 licenced hunters.

A ban on duck hunting would also end any hope of Labor ever regaining the battleground seat of Morwell, given it has 2277 licenced hunters.

Labor’s regional Upper House MPs must also be worried, with fierce Andrews’ loyalist Harriet Shing sitting in the Eastern Region, which covers electoral districts with large numbers of licenced hunters – 3618 in South Gippsland, 2925 in East Gippsland, plus the 2277 in Morwell and 2876 in Narracan, and those in Bass and Hastings.

Field and Game Australia chair Danny Ryan said the Government had a choice: “Does it want to sacrifice votes in rural and marginal seats with large numbers of hunters for inner city votes?”

“A ban on duck hunting is the thin end the wedge, with far reaching ramifications,” he said.

The powerful Transport, Electrical Trades and Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Unions have joined hunting groups to form the Outdoor Recreation Advocacy Group, in the campaign to lobby Labor MPs in the fight to protect duck hunting and access to public land.

ETU state secretary Troy Gray said: “The Government has a choice: maintain a safe and sustainable (duck) harvest season or alienate responsible hunters in ALP heartland, while cowering to an inner-city crowd enjoying their Peking duck in Little Bourke Street.”

“Why would the government risk alienating blue-collar voters in marginal seats over a ‘goat cheese curtain’ issue?”

ETU state secretary Troy Grant led 800 sparkies, who walked off the Metro Tunnel project over duck hunting restrictions. Picture: Facebook

Mr Laird said it would be odd for the government to throw Labor votes away to win some backslaps from inner urban Greens.

“For many years, the Labor Party, in particular, has recognised the importance of hunting and shooting for voters in outer Metropolitan and regional areas,” he said.

It was the Premier who appointed Carrum MP Sonya Kilkenny as Victoria’s first Outdoor Recreation Minister after last year’s November election, and has adopted a range of policies to keep Victoria’s 300,000 licensed anglers, 433,979 boat owners and 200,000 recreational shooters on side, many of whom also hunt.

Since being elected in 2014 Labor has invested $81 million in lifting angler numbers to a million, opened up crown land water frontages to campers, halved campsite fees and invested a large proportion of boaters’ $33m in marine licence and registration fees into boat ramp upgrades and safety.

But Upper House Labor MPs joined the Animal Justice Party this month to release a Select Committee report recommending the government ban duck hunting on all public and private land from 2024.

Labor MP Ryan Batchelor and committee chair backed the ban based on what he called “considerable environmental evidence of long-term decline in native bird populations, and a worsening outlook as our climate continues to change”.

But just last week the NSW Department of Primary Industries released its latest waterfowl survey, which showed a massive surge in Murray Darling Basin duck populations on the back of two wet seasons.

The DPI found the Pacific black duck population in the Riverina had risen from 159,800 last season to 2.76 million this year, while total game bird numbers surged by 345 per cent to 4.3 million.

Minister Kilkenny failed to respond to a request for comment, but the Premier’s office released a comment last week thanking the Select Committee and stating “the government will now thoroughly consider the report, its recommendations and will respond in due course.”

Labor’s Outdoor Recreation Minister Sonya Kilkenny (left) has 1252 licenced hunters in her Carrum electorate, while Member for Bass Jordan Crugnale has 1467, while sitting on a margin of just 102 votes.