Fishing Party (Australia)

The Fishing Party (TFP) is a minor Australian political party whose primary support base is found among recreational fishermen and women. The party was founded by Robert Smith in July 2000 and it has branches in several Australian states. It is headquartered in Singleton, New South Wales. The party’s major platform is the challenging of laws which it considers to be inappropriate to recreational fishing practices. The party’s motto is 'I FISH I VOTE'. TFP has protectionist leanings, in that it wishes to control risk to flora and fauna from infections carried by imports. It sees itself as an 'environmentalist' group with a priority on management and access rather than preservation. It therefore seeks to promote sustainable recreational fishing, with an emphasis on humans as being part of the eco-system, not apart from it.

After enlisting 500 members, the party achieved federal official party status on September 25, 2001. On enlisting 750 members, it achieved NSW official party status on January 29, 2002. On March 10, 2004, the Queensland branch was launched and on May 13, 2004, the Victorian branch came into being. The Fishing Party (Queensland branch) (TFPQ) achieved party registration in 2006, but not until after the 2006 Queensland State election. Nevertheless the TFP(Qld) endorsed 4 candidates as independents, and they averaged 8% of the vote, within their respective electorates. The Qld party broke away from the NSW based Federal organisation, using the deregistration of all small parties to register a new name and attempt to widen its appeal and voter base and is now registered with the AEC as Australian Fishing & Lifestyle Party and no longer has any connection with The Fishing Party. This registration is a current matter before the Administrative Appeals Tribunal and the federal court.

The federal party membership comes from NSW, Qld, Vic, SA, ACT, WA and TAS. The Fishing Party contested their first NSW election in 2003 and in March 2007 campaigned heavily with their preferences responsible to oust the ALP in the seat of Port Stephens on Marine Park regulations. The party contested both those Upper House elections and gained 1.5% of votes for the Legislative Council (Upper House). To date the party has not achieved parliamentary representation. The party has also contested the federal elections of 2001 2004 2007 in both the House of Reps and the Senate as well as local government council ballots

Founder, Robert Smith is a past Australian Anglers Association President General, and is presently the President of the NSW Fishing Clubs' Association.

Robert Smith contested the 2008 Lyne by-election, receiving about 3.5 per cent of the vote.

See also

• List of Australian political parties

External links

• www.thefishingparty.info
• Core policies
• Policy detail

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