Of the five seats,only Bass had a number of registered duck hunters higher than Labor’s winning margin at the last state election. Sitting MP Jordan Crugnale narrowly kept her job in November 2022 with just 202 votes separating her and her Liberal challenger on a two-party preferred count.
Loading
A parliamentary inquiryrecommended a ban in August last year and the government is due to respond by early March. Last year’s shorter duck hunting seasonwas announced in late February.
Elizabeth McCann,campaign director at Regional Victorians Opposed to Duck Shooting,said duck shooting licences were at their lowest level in 15 years,and it was time the government prioritised the wellbeing of the much higher proportion of Victorians who live near waterways but don’t shoot native birds.
“Now’s the time,” she toldThe Age. “Anything less at this point will look weak and pose the obvious question of why the Victorian government won’t listen to its own parliamentary inquiry,let alone most Victorians.”
However,shooting advocates and some in the Labor Party insist there are voters who aren’t active hunters who would also be incensed by a ban. Last year,an alliance of powerful trade unionsthreatened to block then-premier Daniel Andrews and other MPs from doing press conferences on their own Big Build sites should a ban come into effect.
“It’s not necessarily about the number of game licences in the area,” Shooters,Fishers and Farmers MP Jeff Bourman said.
“It’s the number of people in the area who would also change their vote based on the decision.
“There has been polling. Bass is definitely in the firing line,but there are a couple of others as well. Cost of living. Local issues. It all adds up. This is a fight the government doesn’t need to have.”
Bourman said the Game Management Authority relied on credible scientific modelling to determine appropriate bag limits each year based on factors including climate change and habitat loss.
“If we lose duck hunting,it’ll be about the politics,not the science,” he said.
One Labor MP,speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal matters,said the parliamentary caucus was planning to meet in about a fortnight and duck hunting would likely be discussed. Cabinet is then expected to decide whether to hold another season – or join Queensland and NSW in banning the practice altogether – by late February or early March.
“The majority of the Labor caucus would like to see the end of duck shooting,certainly on Crown land,” the MP said. “That’s been the reality for the last few years.”
A spokeswoman for the government said it was considering the parliamentary committee’s recommendations and would respond in due course.
Deputy Nationals leader Emma Kealy warned there would be adverse impacts for wetlands,small businesses and farmers should duck hunting come to an end.
Get the day’s breaking news,entertainment ideas and a long read to enjoy.Sign up to receive our Evening Edition newsletter here.