THE FISHING PARTY

Only fish to your needs

A Message from the Founder

My name is Bob Smith, I am the founder of THE FISHING PARTY and a concerned angler with over 45 years recreational fishing experience in NSW,  throughout Australia and along the Bensbach River in New Guinea.

In no relation to this political party I have been a member of the Australian Anglers Association for some 25 years with the distinction and privilege of being twice the President General for 2 year periods, currently the President until 2011 and once previous, and I am also the current NSWFCA State President, since 1998.

You may have heard of me through the popular press or through my contributions to fishing via the numerous committees or the preceding associations to which I have volunteered my time.

Along with a committee of recreational anglers I have committed myself to forming this political party because I believe that the fishing community and all recreational user groups need honest informative representation in the Parliaments of Australia for the everyday person and to put a sensible balance to the anti-fishing/recreation lobbyist. This approach is not new however our party is active on a number of fronts that support family outdoor recreation, is conservation focused whilst maintaining sensible sustainable use of the amenity that we have in managing our marine resource.

When you think about it the governments spend many hours promoting our national wonders to people, home and abroad, while at the same time giving ground to lobby groups who may, or may not, have sensationalised the need to restrict access to resources enjoyed by the average family on the weekend. This can and must change if our children are to enjoy the outdoors as we have.

The Fishing Party plan is to do that openly and work to improve public facilities and to have a consistent direction and policy nationwide

Robert (Bob) Smith B.M.

Information History:

The Fishing Party was formed in July 2000 and officially launched in August that same year at Byron Bay, NSW, Australia.

The formation of this political party came from years of frustration of pathetic fishery management where the resource was seen as an inexhaustible open paddock.

The introduction of the GST saw recreational fishing activities generating $3 billion annually to our national economy, meaning $300 million on average annually to be grabbed by the treasury to be divided amongst the States and Territories, for WHAT! and some states want more through licensing systems. The greatest and most destructive/wasteful demand on the resource (ie the consumer, exporter) plays little or no part either financially or ethically to it's management

All the while, the fishing community in most states are being held to ransom and the lobbyist's and radicals are gaining political support to close off the amenity that the community enjoys 

 THE FISHING PARTY first became a registered political party with the Australian Electoral Commission on the 25th September 2001 with the regulation 500 members. TFP has unsuccessfully contested three Federal Elections for the Senate for NSW and two for Qld along with a small number of House of Representative seats. TFP preferences were helpful to the election of the Nationals Barnaby Joyce in Qld and were helpful in preventing the greens from securing Senate spots in NSW and Qld.

On the 26 Dec 2006 under the new Electoral Referendum and Amendment Act 2006 legislation introduced which targeted minor parties TFP was one of nineteen parties forced to deregister and re-apply for registration which was again granted in 2007

TFP was registered as a State party in NSW in 2002 with the required 750 members

The party has contested Upper House and a number of Representative seats at two NSW State elections most notable has been in the seat of Port Stephens where TFP preferences decided the seat away from the ALP held electorate. Four seats were contested by TFP in 2008 with three receiving more than 4% of the vote.

In 2004 the Qld state branch became a state registered party but was to late to contest that Qld election as a party. TFP (Qld) has since been deregistered.

An attempt to get the party registered in Victoria in 2004 nearly succeeded but has since failed.

An invitation extends to all the Australian States and Territories to become part of this system with independent branch formation at state or state local levels. Here is your chance to put a halt to anti-fishing decisions and protect your rights, liberty and amenity.