Mrs HICKEY - 1995-03-01
Every recreational angler in the Northern Territory wants to know whether or not the minister is planning to impose a licensing fee on recreational fishing. The minister has been actively avoiding making any statement to the parliament on this issue. Yesterday, he made a ministerial statement on the outlook for Territory primary industry and fisheries without even touching on the subject. I ask the minister to come clean with Territory anglers and state clearly whether he plans to impose this intrusive lifestyle tax on them?
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ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I can state quite categorically that the government has no plans and no intention of introducing a licence for recreational fishing. What I have said, and I said it publicly at the meeting on Sunday, is that, if the Amateur Fishermen's Association of the Northern Territory can demonstrate to the government that there is clear and widespread support for the introduction of such a licence, we may consider it. However, at this stage, there is clearly no widespread support. The telephone calls to my office, letters to the editor, and people talking in the street all indicate that there is no support for the initiative. There are no plans at this stage to introduce a recreational fishing licence in the Northern Territory.
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Page 472
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I can state quite categorically that the government has no plans and no intention of introducing a licence for recreational fishing. What I have said, and I said it publicly at the meeting on Sunday, is that, if the Amateur Fishermen's Association of the Northern Territory can demonstrate to the government that there is clear and widespread support for the introduction of such a licence, we may consider it. However, at this stage, there is clearly no widespread support. The telephone calls to my office, letters to the editor, and people talking in the street all indicate that there is no support for the initiative. There are no plans at this stage to introduce a recreational fishing licence in the Northern Territory.
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Last updated: 09 Aug 2016