COALITION AGAINST DUCK SHOOTING
Media Release
Wednesday 30 December 2009
No reprieve for Native Waterbirds
Premier John Brumby – just another climate change sceptic
The Coalition Against Duck Shooting today slammed the Victorian Brumby Government for selling
out Australia’s native waterbirds by calling a recreational duck shooting season for political
reasons.
The Coalition Against Duck Shooting’s Campaign Director, Laurie Levy, today said: “The Brumby
Government’s decision to allow a duck shooting season in 2010 is totally irresponsible and a
betrayal of the 87% of Victorians who want the recreational shooting of native waterbirds banned.
“At a time when Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has been in Copenhagen seeking an agreement on
serious climate change issues, Premier Brumby seems oblivious to the potential crisis and has
irresponsibly called another duck shooting season when native waterbirds are under extreme
stress.”
“With wetlands drying and waterbird numbers down by 82% since 1983, Premier Brumby is acting
like a climate change sceptic who lacks the vision to understand the serious plight native
waterbirds face,” said Levy.
“It is difficult to understand how a modern Victorian Labor Government in the 21st century can still
have the same destructive policies towards Australia’s native waterbirds as the Bolte Liberal
Government of the 1950s and 60s. Times have changed, with the recreational shooting of native
waterbirds banned by three State Labor Premiers in WA, NSW and Queensland,” Levy said.
“As the Brumby Government has again made a political decision to look after their duck shooting
mates, the Coalition Against Duck Shooting fully supports Ted Baillieu’s call for an independent
Crime Commission to be established in Victoria.
“Calling another season simply for political reasons to accommodate a small number of duck
shooters is corruption and must be investigated by a Crime Commission. It defies all the scientific
evidence that indicates waterbird numbers have seriously declined, and the fact that most
Victorians want native waterbirds protected (87% according to a recent Morgan Research Poll).
“Once again the Coalition Against Duck Shooting’s rescue team will return to the wetlands to
protect Australia’s native waterbirds from recreational shooters,” Levy concluded.
For further information contact:
Laurie Levy
Campaign Director
0418 392 826
304/78 Eastern Rd South Melbourne Vic 3205 Tel 03 9645 8879 email info@duck.org.au web www.duck.org.au
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