[Greens-Media] Shooters Party again votes with Labor: Keneally should reveal if new deal done

[Lee Rhiannon]

NSW Greens MP Lee Rhiannon - 14 May 2010 - Media Release

Shooters Party again votes with Labor:  Keneally should reveal if new deal done 

Greens MP Lee Rhiannon said speculation was building in the NSW Upper House that NSW Labor and the Shooters Party MPs may have resolved their differences as they voted together three times on issues critical to government interests. 

"Premier Kristina Keneally must come clean on whether a new deal has been struck with the Shooters Party and whether shooting in national parks is again on the agenda," Ms Rhiannon said.

The two Shooters MPs, Robert Brown and Roy Smith, voted with the NSW government MPs to defeat a Coalition censure motion of Treasurer Eric Roozendaal; to block the release of government documents relating to Minister Ian Macdonald's work with China Shenhua on coal projects; and to defer an Inquiry into the CBD Metro. 

"NSW ministers would have been pleased with the renewed cooperation between the government and the Shooters MPs seen yesterday in the NSW Upper House," Ms Rhiannon said.

"It is nearly a year since Labor and the Shooters regularly voted together.

"The Shooters MPs stopped voting consistently with Labor after the government refused to back their private members bill that would have allowed shooting in national parks, private game reserves, the hunting of native species and the growth of recreational shooting on public and private lands.

"Since Labor refused to back the Shooters Party bill there have been few occasions on which the two parties voted together. 

"Yesterday's combined Shooters-Labor vote on three issues controversial for the government could be significant. 

"The Shooters Game and Feral Animal Control Amendment Bill is still before the Upper House. It is the second item on the Notice Paper," Ms Rhiannon said. 

For information: Lee Rhiannon - 9230 3551, 0427 861 568




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Lee Rhiannon, MLC
The Greens
Parliament of New South Wales
Macquarie St 
Sydney 2000
Tel: +61-2-9230 3551 Fax: +61-2-9230 3550
Email   lee.rhiannon at parliament.nsw.gov.au
Web    http://www.lee.greens.org.au/

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