“Why would a pro-gun party back an anti-gun candidate?”
THE SHOOTERS, FISHERS & FARMERS PARTY is running candidates in seats who will most likely do nothing other than be a “name of a piece of paper”.
While it is noble to support a shooting cause, the reason parties ask people to nominate is to enable them to enter into preference deals – which the candidates may not be fully aware of.
Don't become a labor stooge
Geelong concrete cutter, Paul Blackborrow, is the SFFP’s candidate for Melton. That means the SFFP will make recommendations on how to vote.
While it is probable that SFFP will register two How-To-Vote cards (one supporting Labor over Liberal and the other supporting Liberal over Labor so they can say they are even handed), their track record means it is certain they will promote the pro-Labor one, and not use the other one.
We know this, because they have done this several times before. In fact, SFFP has never supported the Liberal Party, and this can be seen with their voting record in Parliament where they consistently backed Labor, including on extending the lockdowns.
Given these factors and their track record, the only explanation that there is to run in Melton is to support Labor MP, Steve McGhie, to garner preferences for Jeff in Eastern Victoria.
The SFFP HTV cards will probably put the minor parties ahead of the majors, but whether Labor wins or loses the seat could come down to a handful of votes where they are listed before the Liberals. That’s why what happens with the SFFP HTV cards is such an important matter.
Of course, we want to see the HTV cards when they are handed out. We’ll post them in this blog as an update when we get them (SFFP does not need to register cards handed at early polling stations, meaning they can be kept ‘under the radar’ for the next fortnight).
The fact SFFP is running only in one other lower house seat in the western half of Victoria, which makes us confident that the deal with Labor has been done.
Backing an anti-gun Labor MP
The Labor member for Melton is Steve McGhie.
McGhie has previously attacked the legitimacy of shooting organisations in Parliament. In September, The Age reported that McGhie wanting duck hunting banned. There were no ifs or buts about it. which means McGhie has to go.
Why then, would a pro-gun party back an anti-gun MP?
The brutal reality is that the Jeff’s priority isn’t to protect shooting, it’s to secure enough preferences from Labor to keep his job.
If Jeff stood for shooters, he would go after McGhie, but he won’t. Jeff has never attacked the government or the registry over the way they’ve treated shooters.
While he will argue that he has put legislation up for shooters in Parliament, none of them succeeded: they were only ever put up for show.
What did the candidate, Paul, think about this?
We contacted Paul to have a chat with him. His response was to direct us to speak with “the party” (Nicole) because he was busy making pizzas for his kids.
We have no problem in him trying to help a political party and take a back seat – but if you know Paul, let him know that he’s been duped.
Paul’s preferences could end up killing duck hunting.
Team Dan
Every time the SFFP enters into dodgy deals, they take risks that we pay for.
Their preferences are why the Animal Justice party and Hinch’s Justice Party managed to get people elected to parliament- all just to help Jeff keep his job.
Helping our enemies this way is the biggest act of betrayal anyone could take out on the shooting community.
In fact the culprit here isn’t Jeff, but his wife, Nicole (pictured). That’s because she’s the one who signed off on the nomination. To be clear about this, we’re not blaming Paul for this: only the Bourmans.
If you vote SFFP, you will be voting Labor. That’s the same Labor Government that chopped our duck seasons now, brought in new safe storage laws and is letting its feral registry write government policy.
What you can do
If you’re a SFFP candidate and are not happy with the idea of your preferences helping Dan get re-elected, then there is something you can do.
The bad news is you can’t pull your nomination: it’s too late for that. Your name will be on the ballot paper, no matter what.
However the good news is you can help by simply not handing out How-To-Vote cards. That’s because shooters will still work out their own preferences in the lower house. Bin them.
If you’re an upper house candidate, then the problem is trickier, but one thing you can do is encourage voters to vote “below the line”. Otherwise, you can bin those HTVs as well.
Oh, and if you are ever approached again to run for them, just remember whose side they are on.
Can you help handing out How-To-Vote cards in Melton?
Please let us know by clicking here.
COMING SOON: Our voting recommendations for the 2022 Victorian State Election.
that mcghie turd has to go…along with those sffp that are always under the table giving dan gobbies