Thread: I hate to be the bearer of bad news.

More NZers want the Tahr all gone than want them to stay.
More NZers want firearms removed from the hands of the general public than want them to remain.
We passed the balance point some time ago, but perhaps just didn't realise it.
Respective governments are now following the wishes of the majority.
The balance swings more with each passing year. Urbanisation, immigration, media bias, UN influence, blame what you will.
Now we know what it is like to be - and feel the consequences of being - in a minority group.

The only way to prolong holding onto sporting firearms and our hunting in NZ - and tahr or other species as viable game propositions - lie down two paths in my opinion:

- either keep out of the public eye and hope as a result that legislative changes stay off the table for as long as possible, and that funding for game animal control is directed elsewhere, or failing that,

- by persuading political parties that our voice may influence whether they govern.

No need to point out that we have recently had option one taken out of our hands across several fronts and the hunting tourism dollar sweetener is now gone.

So turning to option two; many may have complained in the past about the tail wagging the dog (politically) over other issues. As a minority voice we now need to become that tail for as long as we can. Complain about MMP all you like, but MMP offers, and has offered, more opportunity to be a wagging tail than FPP; parties scrabbling to keep their chosen minority groups onside. We have been benefiting from this for some time now, though perhaps we haven’t realised this either. If Labour are returned in September with the numbers currently predicted, with a FPP-type majority where minority parties are absent or irrelevant, then we shall see how a dog with no tail behaves. I’m not singling out Labour. National would behave the same way if running into an election with the same popularity.

The OP was entitled " I hate to be the bearer of bad news ".

The above for me is the true extent of the bad news. Your views may differ.

Originally Posted by Puffin

Now we know what it is like AT SOME VERY SMALL LEVEL to be - and feel the consequences of being - in a minority group.

Fixed. It doesn't affect my employment, my health or educational outcomes, my income potential, the way I'm treated by other people, my life expectancy, and many other aspect of my life that I take for granted. It's a recreational activity for most of us, just one that I would like to continue to enjoy.
Probably should try harder to keep some perspective with my posts.