"NZ First MP Shane Jones said he had been "plastered" by people in the Far North wanting to fish and hunt, a call he supported."
"I have no formal responsibility, other than as a Cabinet minister when we look at the options, but as a NZ First MP I realise that these calls [to ban hunting] have been made by the medical boffins," he told Stuff. "
So they're saving faces behind Dr Ashley Bloomfield the Director General of Health who signs the state of emergency orders.
An itch ... is ... a desire to scratch
I like many on here am seeing some disconnect and uneven viewing of what is acceptable risk. I certainly think mountain biking is far more hazardous. I guess the most important thing to consider is not just the risk but of the ease of finding and getting to someone if there is an accident. That is the key. So stuff that happens on tracks and in easily accessed places is far better for rescue services. That is really the issue. How long others are tied up for, not whether it is likely or not likely to happen. For hunting it might be that:
- Nothing further than half an hours drive away from home
- Dont go anywhere you have to touch something that others you don't know about might have touched
- Nothing longer than day trips
- If on PCL and off track then only people with In Reaches so you can be found quickly no matter what happens
- Only go alone or with people from your immediate level 4 bubble
So you could go for a hunt on private land and exercise good safety and hygiene. Who here if rabbit hunting was the only option would say no to it? So some living close to private deer hunting would be better off but I for one would not want some disadvantaged just because I couldnt. Take pleasure in what we can do folks. Anything is better than sitting at home. And spare a thought for the policy writers. I just dont think any of them are probably in any way able to understand the culture of outdoors and country people. Everything gets looked at from an urban and Auckland perspective when it comes to this sort of thing. That is not making excuses for them but I know how these things work. Farmers have been fighting it for years.
At the end of the day, once again I come back to the fact that many people and not just hunters seem to have lost sight of what is at stake if we get it wrong or push the boundaries or come out of lockdown too soon. Every day we are in lockdown hurts us economically for another another two months and pushing the boundaries could mean someones loved ones dying when they didn't need to or lockdown coming back on again and the whole country being hurt for a long time after that. This ain't about a wee bit of hunting or mountain biking folks. Remember that and be careful not to act like your five year olds. That is their game to play, not 'grown ups'. We are nearly there. Lets not drop the ball so close to the final line.
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