Wednesday, 19 March 2025

Duck hunting

Georgie PURCELL (Northern Victoria) (09:49): Labor’s shameful duck slaughter commences today, and only hours into the season a black swan has already been killed on the wetlands. It comes as the most accurate surveys show that there is half the amount of waterbirds compared to the year before and birds are not breeding. We have no birds, yet the government, one year out from defying the main recommendation from their own parliamentary inquiry that they established themselves, announced the most barbaric and longest season that we have seen in a long time. Despite all the work we have done, we have gone backwards.

Over the next three months protected species will be shot. Thousands of birds will be wounded and left languishing slowly to die on the wetlands. Rules will be flouted, and the Game Management Authority will turn a blind eye while focusing on charging those attempting to render assistance.

I want to send my strength and solidarity to the duck rescuers heading out onto the wetlands today, many of whom I will join over the weekend, just as I have done for over 10 years now. They are doing a job that the authorities and government should do but refuse to, and they refuse to because they know and we know that it is an impossible job to monitor compliance at literally thousands of locations across this state. It is our native waterbirds like the black swan which has already been killed who pay the ultimate price for their arrogance and their negligence. We will never forget or forgive this government’s betrayal, and we will ban duck shooting.