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Did you hear the story about the small band of disgruntled fishers who were angry enough to form a party barely seven months before a federal election? And, in doing so, changed the course of Australian political history? No fiction writer in their right mind would imagine such a plot. It's preposterous!
Yet it happened! A block of 30,000 votes given to The Fishing Party (Queensland) candidate, Kevin Collins, in the recent federal election, proved to be the preferential votes critical to getting the National Party candidate home over the Green Party aspirant on the Queensland senate ticket.
But why should you, a person who just wants to get out there and throw a line in the water, have more than a passing interest in such an unlikely event? After all, you just want to go fishing, not worry about all this political crap!
Because certain Green elements want to stop you and your mates from going fishing and they have been working towards this goal for over a decade.
In Proserpine, local fishers were prepared to compromise on areas being zoned by the RAP process when, at the last minute, a local politician became involved and the boundaries were changed, leaving them with a much less acceptable outcome than was promised. Their protests fell on deaf ears (as had other protests from Cairns to Bundaberg) so they realised they had to make a political stand. With this The Fishing Party (Queensland) was born.
TFPQ's lobbying success, even before the election was held, was substantial. Some $400,000 was promised to get the federal based RECFISH body back in a full-time status, $15 million over three years was outlayed for recreational fishing enhancement projects, and the RAP compensation bill had climbed from a modest $15 million commercial payout to an estimated $200 million!
On election day, of the 25 booths managed by TFPQ workers, the party averaged a very significant 6.22 per cent of the primary vote, with the best result coming from Weipa with an amazing 20.62 per cent.
TFPQ has certainly set the standard for future negotiations. In less than a year, TFPQ's 'spectacular' result has left every other fishing lobby group floundering in its wake. Yet, there are still those who can't bring themselves to recognise their achievements or even listen to the lessons learned. The future of our sport has to be more important than egos or ignorance.
So look out for the latest recreational fishing closure, coming to an area near you soon! And there's going to be lots more unless you do as the Proserpine mob did and get off your butt, put some money where your mouth is and make your vote count.