By ANEEKA SIMONIS
DESPITE being the target of the Shooters and Fishers Party’s recent political attack, MP Jason Wood is likely to dodge the bullet coming his way.
Hon Robert Borsak, a Shooters and Fishers Party representative, recently announced the party will field a candidate for the seat of La Trobe at the next election as fuses run hot over Mr Wood’s campaign to ban lion ‘trophies’ coming into the country.
These ‘trophies’ have been brought back by hunters who shoot captive lions in Africa.
The party also plans to give their first preferences to Labor candidate Simon Curtis.
It is the first time the party will campaign for the marginal seat which was won by the Liberal Government by a 5.67 per cent swing at the last election.
So will the move put Mr Wood’s seat at risk?
Political commentator Dr Nick Economou described the political power play as “sabre-rattling”, suggesting the row will do little to influence the federal election predicted to be at least a year away.
“There won’t be an election until after 1 July next year … I wouldn’t put too much value into what’s happened. It looks like an exercise in sabre-rattling,” he said.
Dr Economou said the Coalition’s standing in Victoria was weak and the traditionally conservative Shooter and Fishers Party could create tight contest for the swinging seat.
“La Trobe is a very marginal seat and the Coalition’s standing in Victoria is not good,” he said.
“This would be a personal blow for Mr Wood because you’d normally think a right of centre party like the Shooters would direct their preference to the Liberals rather than the Labor. It will make for a tight contest. He will need all the help he can get.”
Hon Borsak has openly criticised Mr Wood for his campaign, and is pushing to strip the not-for-profit organisation For the Love of Wildlife (FTLW), which is working to expand airline imposed bans on animal importations, of its charity status.
“It is regrettable that throughout your campaign you have persistently failed to differentiate canned hunting from ethical, lawful and sustainable trophy hunting which is recognised by the IUCN, CITES and other conservation organisations as a “fundamental pillar” of wildlife conservation in Africa,” Mr Borsak wrote to Mr Wood.
Both Mr Wood and FTLW founder Donalea Patman said they would not back down on legislation to ban trophy imports to the country.
Legislation to ban lion trophy imports was announced by Environment Minister Greg Hunt at the Global March for Lions event in the CBD in March.
