As many of our readers are already aware, the proposed bow hunting ban in South Australia is gaining momentum. Recently, government documents have been released which confirm this proposal WILL proceed as planned – with an exact date of implementation to be announced in the coming weeks or months.
What’s concerning – other than the State Government’s request for support from local archery businesses is the total lack of community consultation on the matter. Despite this, many clubs and private individuals have taken it upon themselves to provide well-structured, research-based submissions to their local Members of Parliament in the hopes they may support us in our opposition to this ban. I opted to take a slightly different approach, and instead, submitted a list of questions to the Deputy Premier of SA (Susan Close MP). Should I receive a response, the answers could be utilized as leverage against the proposed ban, and to a much greater extent, used to erode her credibility on the basis of hypocrisy.
My email containing these questions can be found at the end of this article, however, I feel it’s necessary to explain my thought process beforehand. This will ensure that questions are not taken out of the context in which they are intended…
The context behind my questions
The bow hunting ban in South Australia is being pursued on the basis of ‘ethical considerations’. Basically, the state government – at the behest of the RSPCA and the Animal Justice Party, has decided that hunting with archery equipment now contradicts modern animal welfare principles. Their claim is that the penetration power of an arrow is insufficient to facilitate a humane death and that animals will experience prolonged suffering as a result. Despite being provided evidence to the contrary, they continue to stand by these unfounded and emotive claims as they push forward with their goal of banning this recreational hunting activity.
As I have previously stated, the questions I posed to Susan Close MP differ from the standard points of discussion. In my email, I question the Deputy Premier’s support of Indigenous hunting rights. This includes her recognition and support of Indigenous Australians’ right to hunt and her support of both traditional and modern methods being utilized. Should she provide a positive response for each question, it would serve as proof that the basis of this decision is not about ethics at all and that she is simply playing both sides of the ‘woke’ political point-scoring game.
This is where my game plan comes into play…
I have always held a theory that the only way to truly destroy ‘woke’ culture, is to have it turn on itself. In regards to our current situation – by publicising her support of hunting methods that are deemed to be equally (or more) inhumane, the ‘animal justice’ crowd may seek to have her removed from the role in state politics – thereby causing this ban to fall by the wayside as collateral damage.
On the contrary, if she does not provide a statement of support for Indigenous hunting rights, it implies that she disagrees with it, and therefore intends to abolish it from her state. As we all know, that’s a political death sentence for anyone catering to the ‘woke’ crowd in the 21st century.
So long story short, the aim is to back her into a corner where she is effectively “screwed either way”. Unless of course, she were to backflip on this proposal and pretend that it never existed…
Hopefully, that makes sense!
Just to clarify my stance on the matter – I am a supporter of Indigenous hunting rights. While it may be otherwise perceived, these questions are not about further adding to the racial divide in this country. The same divide is continually weaponised (and profited upon) by our mainstream media and these very same politicians. It’s simply a method to weigh her “ethical considerations” against her perceived ‘value’ of differing cultures within Australia, resulting in a possible win for Australian hunters from every walk of life.
Anyway, that’s enough talk of strategy…
A copy of my email can be found below.
(Emailed January 10, 2023)
The honourable Susan Close MP, Deputy Premier of South AustraliaDear Deputy Premier,
I am writing this email to seek clarification on the future of Indigenous hunting rights in South Australia.
Late last year, a position statement was released on behalf of yourself and the Australian Labor Party which declared your intention to “ban the use of bow and arrows for recreational hunting”. The basis of this decision was cited as a concern around “inhumane” hunting practices – a concern that the RSPCA had been vocal about for a number of years.
My concern with this proposal is that it may call into question the ethics of traditional hunting practices, and would therefore result in lawful equipment, access, and hunting methods being revoked from this community.Â
In order to better understand your position – and alleviate these concerns, I am hoping that you could please clarify your stance (and the Australian Labor Party’s stance) on the following aspects of Indigenous hunting rights, by answering the following questions:
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Do you recognise and support the right of Indigenous Australians to participate in cultural hunting activities?
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Do you support Indigenous hunting rights in the use of:Âa. Traditional methods – including spears, rocks, and the various methods of snaring and animal trapping?b. Modern methods – including firearms and archery equipment?
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If a ban on bow hunting is implemented, will Indigenous Australians be granted an exemption to this piece of legislation?
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If a ban on bow hunting is implemented, will you seek to abolish the use of traditional hunting methods on the basis of the RSPCA considering it to be “inhumane”?
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Can you please explain why these changes will / will not impact Indigenous hunting rights?
Final thoughts
While any form of respectful communication with a Member of Parliament is a good thing, it should not be viewed as a “one-and-done” approach to solving our problems. We (as a community) need to remain proactive in the defence of our lifestyle – should we wish to maintain it.
Simple ways of doing this include; taking careful consideration of what we post on social media, continuing to educate ourselves (and others) on matters relating to hunting and the environment, participating in local environmental restoration activities, and maintaining positive engagement with members of the wider community.
How can YOU support the SA bow hunting community?
Copy and paste my email above, and send it to Susan Close MP, at – [email protected]. The more emails we send, the more pressure we place upon her office to respond to this line of questioning. This will force a response – which in turn, can be used to our advantage.
Just make sure that you remove ALL of my points on strategy first!
You can also support the following organisations that are proactively fighting against this ban.
