| 2010 Federal Election Be careful how you vote! Vote 1 - Shooters and Fishers Party in the Senate Voting in the Federal Senate You should be aware that there is a real danger of the Greens getting control of the federal Senate because of the favourable preference deal they struck with the Australian Labor Party. Simply put, a vote for Labor in the Senate “above the line” (which requires voters to number just one box for Labor on the large white ballot paper) increases the chances of helping the Greens hold the balance of power. This will put them in a position where they demand their policies be implemented, such as the end to recreational hunting, more marine parks or closure of land to four wheel driving. While these are largely state issues, the federal government often plays a role in coordinating jurisdictional policy approaches. A vote for Labor "above the line" might as well be a vote for the Greens - and you might as well kiss your guns goodbye. However it is still possible for you to vote Labor without helping the Greens. If you are not a shooter, then you should still be concerned given that the Greens have real form in attacking the recreational and business use of our public lands. If you wish to vote for Labor, do NOT vote "above the line". If you do, your vote will help the Greens through preferences. Instead, spend a couple of minutes sequentially numbering the boxes “below the line” making sure that you put the Greens last. The coalition has put the Greens about half way down their list, but still ahead of Labor. The good thing is that they put Family First above both, so there is still a risk that voting "above the line" could help the Greens, but it is less of a problem. Again, you 'play it safe' by voting below the line, making sure you put the Greens last. However it' s important that you number all the boxes, as tedious as it might sound. If you don't wish to vote for any of the major parties or can't be bothered numbering all the boxes, then you might like to consider voting for the Shooters and Fishers Party "above the line" by putting a "1" in the box against their name. The party will put the Greens last and is the only way you can vote "above the line" to protect shooting interests with any real certainty. Even if you aren't a shooter, support them because they will support similar interests such as angling, four wheel driving, bee keeping, the timber industry and so on. If you are interested in seeing how all the parties allocated their preferences then click here. We'll endeavour to keep this page updated as the election approaches. How should I vote in the House of Representatives? Your vote in the House of Representatives is cast on the smaller green ballot paper. If you live in the seats of McEwen or Wannon, then we recommend you vote as follows:
Both candidates are supportive of the shooting sports and will do the right thing by us. To vote for them, place a "1" in the box next to their name and number the remaining boxes putting the Greens last. Placing the Greens last is very important to protect fishing, 4WDs and hunting. Placing them anywhere above last is too big a risk. For all other seats, vote for whoever you believe is the better candidate but again, just make sure you put the Greens last. What else can you do? Plenty. 1. You can download this generic article to use in your magazine. If your organisation is not involved in shooting, just changed it around to suit your constituency making sure you accurately reflect what it is the Greens want to ban. 2. You can forward a link to this page to everyone you know who has an interest in the election and should know about how to stop the Greens. 3. You can think about nominating for the election. It's too late to get involved in the Federal Election, however Victoria has a state election in November. Become a member of Country Alliance and let them know you want to nominate by following this link.. More information will be posted here as the election approaches.
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