ACCORDING to former NSW Minister for Primary Industries Steve Whan, the O’Farrell Government has broken its promise to appoint a Parliamentary Secretary for Recreational Fishing.
“Prior to the election, senior Minister Duncan Gay tried to gain support from the one million recreational fishers in NSW by promising an O’Farrell Government would create a Parliamentary Secretary role specifically for recreational fishing,” Whan said in a press statement issued this week.
“When asked about the promise during Question Time, Mr Gay didn’t deny that he had made the commitment to fishers and offered no explanation for his failure to deliver.
“Recreational fishing is a huge sport in NSW and supports local businesses in many rural and regional towns.
“The National Party has an abysmal history with recreational fishing and for many years opposed license fees to promote better stocking and infrastructure.
“Astoundingly, the National Party has also waged a war against closing some estuaries to commercial fishing to improve recreational catch. Minister Gay has been caught out making an election promise he never intended to keep to try to dishonestly secure the votes of the one million recreational fishers in NSW.”
