Former Animal Justice MP involved in scuffle after women's rights rally
Former Animal Justice Party MP Andy Meddick has been involved in a physical scuffle after hundreds of pro-trans protesters amassed near Melbourne's Parliament House to disrupt a women's rights rally on the steps of parliament.
Protesters played drums and chanted while the Women Will Speak event occurred on Saturday.
Around 50 to 100 attendees to the women's rights rally listened to speeches at midday.
Meddick, who was attending the pro-trans protest, got into a verbal altercation with a man following the conclusion of the Women Will Speak rally.
Police had just dispersed the crowd and moved to keep the two protests apart. But the members from both sides came into contact on Macarthur Street.
The altercation descended into a struggle between the two men, and Meddick was pushed over.
Meddick has two transgender children, Kielan and Eden.
Melbourne's Women Will Speak rally is part of the global Let Women Speak movement, which argues that laws promoting trans-inclusion have eroded sex-based rights and intruded unreasonably into women's spaces. It follows this month's UK Supreme Court ruling, which decreed that for the purposes of Britain's Equality Act, a woman is defined by her biological sex.
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The Advertiser
5 days ago
- The Advertiser
Animal advocates shoot down bill for enabling 'yahoos'
Environmentalists have opened fire on a bill which could pay recreational hunters for killing invasive pests, describing the plan as enabling a "fringe minority of men" to let loose. A bill before NSW parliament aims to establish a Conservation Hunting Authority, with debate in the upper house taking place on Wednesday. It would better enable "conservation hunting" on private and public land to control invasive animals, Shooters, Fishers and Farmers MP Robert Borsak told parliament. It would also recognise hunting as a cultural activity with social and economic benefits. "It is about responsible conservation, ethical hunting and ensuring that our public lands are managed in a way that benefits everyone." The proposed plan would introduce bounties for killing foxes, cats and feral pigs, which the authority could oversee, the MP explained. But Animal Justice Party MP Emma Hurst described those partaking in such activities as a bunch of "yahoos". "Recreational hunting is not about conservation," she said on Wednesday. "This is a fringe minority of people in our society, predominantly men, who like to kill animals for so-called fun. It is a form of dangerous violence. "Allowing yahoos with very limited training or experience to go out and shoot animals creates an unacceptable animal welfare risk." Biodiversity Council director James Trezise said co-ordinated baiting and trapping as well as aerial culls are more effective at large-scale population reduction. "Whilst recreational hunting is a perfectly valid hobby, it isn't an effective tool for invasive species management." Victoria and the Northern Territory have well-regulated public land hunting programs which have delivered positive pest management results, Mr Borsak added. The proposed hunting authority would comprise eight members, half of whom would be nominated by "prescribed hunting organisations". It would represent the interests of licensed hunters, liaise on land management and make recommendations to ministers on game and feral animal management. A new licence would be created for conservation hunters, aimed at training them in the use of night-vision technology and infrared scopes and allowing them to use suppressors on rifles. Environment Minister Penny Sharpe defended the government's approach in trying to cull feral animal populations by any means necessary. "Invasive species are one of the largest harms that occur to nature and to our ecosystems across our state - it is worth billions of dollars of harm," she told parliament. "This is not going to solve our invasive species problem... but having more people with their shoulder to the wheel being in a position to take out feral animals wherever they are ... is something that just helps." Environmentalists have opened fire on a bill which could pay recreational hunters for killing invasive pests, describing the plan as enabling a "fringe minority of men" to let loose. A bill before NSW parliament aims to establish a Conservation Hunting Authority, with debate in the upper house taking place on Wednesday. It would better enable "conservation hunting" on private and public land to control invasive animals, Shooters, Fishers and Farmers MP Robert Borsak told parliament. It would also recognise hunting as a cultural activity with social and economic benefits. "It is about responsible conservation, ethical hunting and ensuring that our public lands are managed in a way that benefits everyone." The proposed plan would introduce bounties for killing foxes, cats and feral pigs, which the authority could oversee, the MP explained. But Animal Justice Party MP Emma Hurst described those partaking in such activities as a bunch of "yahoos". "Recreational hunting is not about conservation," she said on Wednesday. "This is a fringe minority of people in our society, predominantly men, who like to kill animals for so-called fun. It is a form of dangerous violence. "Allowing yahoos with very limited training or experience to go out and shoot animals creates an unacceptable animal welfare risk." Biodiversity Council director James Trezise said co-ordinated baiting and trapping as well as aerial culls are more effective at large-scale population reduction. "Whilst recreational hunting is a perfectly valid hobby, it isn't an effective tool for invasive species management." Victoria and the Northern Territory have well-regulated public land hunting programs which have delivered positive pest management results, Mr Borsak added. The proposed hunting authority would comprise eight members, half of whom would be nominated by "prescribed hunting organisations". It would represent the interests of licensed hunters, liaise on land management and make recommendations to ministers on game and feral animal management. A new licence would be created for conservation hunters, aimed at training them in the use of night-vision technology and infrared scopes and allowing them to use suppressors on rifles. Environment Minister Penny Sharpe defended the government's approach in trying to cull feral animal populations by any means necessary. "Invasive species are one of the largest harms that occur to nature and to our ecosystems across our state - it is worth billions of dollars of harm," she told parliament. "This is not going to solve our invasive species problem... but having more people with their shoulder to the wheel being in a position to take out feral animals wherever they are ... is something that just helps." Environmentalists have opened fire on a bill which could pay recreational hunters for killing invasive pests, describing the plan as enabling a "fringe minority of men" to let loose. A bill before NSW parliament aims to establish a Conservation Hunting Authority, with debate in the upper house taking place on Wednesday. It would better enable "conservation hunting" on private and public land to control invasive animals, Shooters, Fishers and Farmers MP Robert Borsak told parliament. It would also recognise hunting as a cultural activity with social and economic benefits. "It is about responsible conservation, ethical hunting and ensuring that our public lands are managed in a way that benefits everyone." The proposed plan would introduce bounties for killing foxes, cats and feral pigs, which the authority could oversee, the MP explained. But Animal Justice Party MP Emma Hurst described those partaking in such activities as a bunch of "yahoos". "Recreational hunting is not about conservation," she said on Wednesday. "This is a fringe minority of people in our society, predominantly men, who like to kill animals for so-called fun. It is a form of dangerous violence. "Allowing yahoos with very limited training or experience to go out and shoot animals creates an unacceptable animal welfare risk." Biodiversity Council director James Trezise said co-ordinated baiting and trapping as well as aerial culls are more effective at large-scale population reduction. "Whilst recreational hunting is a perfectly valid hobby, it isn't an effective tool for invasive species management." Victoria and the Northern Territory have well-regulated public land hunting programs which have delivered positive pest management results, Mr Borsak added. The proposed hunting authority would comprise eight members, half of whom would be nominated by "prescribed hunting organisations". It would represent the interests of licensed hunters, liaise on land management and make recommendations to ministers on game and feral animal management. A new licence would be created for conservation hunters, aimed at training them in the use of night-vision technology and infrared scopes and allowing them to use suppressors on rifles. Environment Minister Penny Sharpe defended the government's approach in trying to cull feral animal populations by any means necessary. "Invasive species are one of the largest harms that occur to nature and to our ecosystems across our state - it is worth billions of dollars of harm," she told parliament. "This is not going to solve our invasive species problem... but having more people with their shoulder to the wheel being in a position to take out feral animals wherever they are ... is something that just helps." Environmentalists have opened fire on a bill which could pay recreational hunters for killing invasive pests, describing the plan as enabling a "fringe minority of men" to let loose. A bill before NSW parliament aims to establish a Conservation Hunting Authority, with debate in the upper house taking place on Wednesday. It would better enable "conservation hunting" on private and public land to control invasive animals, Shooters, Fishers and Farmers MP Robert Borsak told parliament. It would also recognise hunting as a cultural activity with social and economic benefits. "It is about responsible conservation, ethical hunting and ensuring that our public lands are managed in a way that benefits everyone." The proposed plan would introduce bounties for killing foxes, cats and feral pigs, which the authority could oversee, the MP explained. But Animal Justice Party MP Emma Hurst described those partaking in such activities as a bunch of "yahoos". "Recreational hunting is not about conservation," she said on Wednesday. "This is a fringe minority of people in our society, predominantly men, who like to kill animals for so-called fun. It is a form of dangerous violence. "Allowing yahoos with very limited training or experience to go out and shoot animals creates an unacceptable animal welfare risk." Biodiversity Council director James Trezise said co-ordinated baiting and trapping as well as aerial culls are more effective at large-scale population reduction. "Whilst recreational hunting is a perfectly valid hobby, it isn't an effective tool for invasive species management." Victoria and the Northern Territory have well-regulated public land hunting programs which have delivered positive pest management results, Mr Borsak added. The proposed hunting authority would comprise eight members, half of whom would be nominated by "prescribed hunting organisations". It would represent the interests of licensed hunters, liaise on land management and make recommendations to ministers on game and feral animal management. A new licence would be created for conservation hunters, aimed at training them in the use of night-vision technology and infrared scopes and allowing them to use suppressors on rifles. Environment Minister Penny Sharpe defended the government's approach in trying to cull feral animal populations by any means necessary. "Invasive species are one of the largest harms that occur to nature and to our ecosystems across our state - it is worth billions of dollars of harm," she told parliament. "This is not going to solve our invasive species problem... but having more people with their shoulder to the wheel being in a position to take out feral animals wherever they are ... is something that just helps."
News.com.au
31-05-2025
- News.com.au
Animal activists slam NSW plan to pay bounty hunters for feral animal kills
A controversial plan to introduce bounty killings for feral animals and expand hunting rights would 'turn NSW into a South African game park', opponents have claimed. The NSW government came under fire this week after Premier Chris Minns floated the idea of paying shooters for bounties for feral animals, including cats and pigs. The proposal forms part of sweeping reforms proposed by the NSW Shooters, Fishers and Farmers party to hunting rights, including a new minister for hunting. NSW Animal Justice Party MLC Emma Hurst said the Bill would 'take us backward' and bounty killings as a means of population control did not work. 'We know even just from research that these bounty programs don't work, but of course it also allows for extreme animal cruelty,' Ms Hurst said. 'There's no proper sort of oversight or accountability into these programs. It's encouraging a bloodbath for animals. 'The argument that's put forward by the Shooters (party) is that these animals are introduced. 'Therefore, we can do whatever we sort of want to them and we should ignore what animal cruelty is happening to them. 'They have the ability to feel pain and fear and we shouldn't be encouraging some kind of extreme Rambo-style killing spree on these animals within the communities.' Ms Hurst said the Bill, which seeks to open up Crown land to hunting, would 'essentially turn NSW into a South African game park' and waste taxpayer money. She urged for more species-specific control measure for feral animals in NSW, including the use of immunocontraceptive darting that is used overseas. Several feral and invasive species are active in the state, including feral pigs, deer, and camels as well as wild dogs and feral cats. Shooters MLC Rod Borsak said the Bill was about incorporating NSW's about 200,000 licensed hunters into 'the conservation hunting paradigm'. 'The whole idea is to try and develop a system of co-operation … something that brings the recreational hunting side of things into the conservation paradigm,' he said. He went on to add that bounties would 'increase the incentive to farmers and to conservation hunters to go out there and target the animals that we think are important'. Mr Borsak stressed the possibility of bounties to target feral cats that attack native fauna and are 'impossible' to control under the government's current 'instruments'. The long-term Legislative Council representative dismissed the notion that the bounty plan would result in a 'free for all', citing longstanding regulation and safety measures. 'There's a whole lot of rules around all this stuff that has been tried and true for the last 20 years,' Mr Borsak said, referencing concerns about firearms safety. 'Anyone trying to run a scare campaign is moaning in the face of the evidence of what's actually occurred in two or three million hectares of public land in the last 20 years.' Under the plan, a $1m 'pot' would be available for feral pig snouts, which Mr Borsak said could sell for $15-30, with another $1m pool for wild dogs, foxes, and cats. Mr Borsak described hunting as a 'mainstream' activity that 'really benefits rural and regional NSW primarily, and we really should be recognising that'. Under the Bill, spotlighting and the proposed use of thermal scopes would not be allowed on Crown land, including state forests. Nor would the hunting bounty scheme – or any hunting at all – be allowed within national parks in NSW. The proposal was panned by the Invasive Species Council, whose chief executive Jack Gough wrote to Environment Minister Penny Sharpe and Agriculture Minister Tara Moriarty. 'I am writing to urge you to reject the latest attempt by the NSW Shooters Party to undermine effective feral animal control in NSW,' Mr Gough said. 'This time through an attempt to secure government funding for bounties. 'Australia's long history of failed bounties has demonstrated they are expensive, ineffective and undermine genuine feral animal control programs.' The council raised concerns that the scheme could be abused by way of fraud, and feral animal control was 'very different from ad hoc killing'. While dismissing the plan, the council has lauded the successes of aerial culling into reducing the population of feral horses in the Snowy Mountains. While significantly different in purpose, planning, and practice, the shooting of brumbies in the Kosciuszko National Park has been equally divisive. A recent state government report found the population of brumbies in the park could be as low as 1500, down from 13,000 to 22,000 last year. Mr Gough welcomed the report as a 'turning point', with the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service releasing images of ecological recovery in the park. Ms Hurst questioned the government's earlier numbers and suggested alternatives, like darting, were also available. 'The problem that we have is that there's always this messaging pushed out there that it has to be done urgently and it has to be done as quickly as possible,' she said. 'Of course what happens is when you kill a whole lot of animals in any one system they breed back up pretty quickly, so it's always going to be a Band-Aid solution. 'It is not going to work in the long term.'
The Advertiser
21-05-2025
- The Advertiser
Kosciuszko 'turning point' as hard-hooved horses culled
A famed alpine national park appears to be on the mend after a brumby cull, but some still question the process taken to control the population. Surveys across the Kosciuszko National Park estimate the wild horse population has been slashed to between 1579 and 5639 in little more than a year. It puts park operators on track to hit a mandated target of 3000 feral horses over nearly one-third of the park by mid-2027. Before-and-after images from the park show reduced bare ground and increased vegetation coverage, along with less soil damage and trampling of stream banks. But Animal Justice Party MP Emma Hurst, who chaired a parliamentary inquiry into the aerial shooting of brumbies, said the data supported previous claims the population had been overstated. "The last population estimate was between 17,000 and 21,700 horses, but now the park could have around 1500 horses left after the removal of 8954 horses," she told AAP. "Aerial shooting is extremely cruel and unjustified and - given there is now a recognition that the number of horses in the park were never anywhere near as high as the government claimed - it should be taken off the table entirely." The Australian Brumby Alliance also questioned the data and said it didn't correlate with what they had seen on the ground. Culling should stop if the population was so low. "The ABA calls on the government and Parks NSW to cease all trapping and shooting and work with the community to build a plan that is well-informed and involves experienced locals who have been working with the brumbies for many years," president Nikki Alberts told AAP. Aerial brumby shooting resumed in NSW under the state Labor government in November 2023. About 6000 have been clipped since to progress towards the population targets. The headway was welcomed by the Invasive Species Council, who said the declining population showed genuine momentum towards protecting the park. "We're finally seeing a turning point," chief executive Jack Gough said. "Fewer hard-hooved feral animals trampling the fragile alpine environment means more native species returning, more delicate wetlands recovering and more hope for one of Australia's most vulnerable national parks." The NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service's methods produced estimates of between 1579 and 4007 horses, and between 2131 and 5639 horses, each with a 95 per cent confidence rating. The wildlife service is not expected to shoot any more brumbies in the area and it will maintain the 3000-horse population from mid-2027. Last week, parliament debated repealing the Kosciuszko Wild Horse Heritage Act 2018, introduced by the Nationals to protect the "heritage value" of the brumby population and shape the current population targets. Mr Gough pointed out no MPs had spoken against the proposal. Water quality, threatened species and sensitive areas will all be monitored to track the park's continued recovery. A famed alpine national park appears to be on the mend after a brumby cull, but some still question the process taken to control the population. Surveys across the Kosciuszko National Park estimate the wild horse population has been slashed to between 1579 and 5639 in little more than a year. It puts park operators on track to hit a mandated target of 3000 feral horses over nearly one-third of the park by mid-2027. Before-and-after images from the park show reduced bare ground and increased vegetation coverage, along with less soil damage and trampling of stream banks. But Animal Justice Party MP Emma Hurst, who chaired a parliamentary inquiry into the aerial shooting of brumbies, said the data supported previous claims the population had been overstated. "The last population estimate was between 17,000 and 21,700 horses, but now the park could have around 1500 horses left after the removal of 8954 horses," she told AAP. "Aerial shooting is extremely cruel and unjustified and - given there is now a recognition that the number of horses in the park were never anywhere near as high as the government claimed - it should be taken off the table entirely." The Australian Brumby Alliance also questioned the data and said it didn't correlate with what they had seen on the ground. Culling should stop if the population was so low. "The ABA calls on the government and Parks NSW to cease all trapping and shooting and work with the community to build a plan that is well-informed and involves experienced locals who have been working with the brumbies for many years," president Nikki Alberts told AAP. Aerial brumby shooting resumed in NSW under the state Labor government in November 2023. About 6000 have been clipped since to progress towards the population targets. The headway was welcomed by the Invasive Species Council, who said the declining population showed genuine momentum towards protecting the park. "We're finally seeing a turning point," chief executive Jack Gough said. "Fewer hard-hooved feral animals trampling the fragile alpine environment means more native species returning, more delicate wetlands recovering and more hope for one of Australia's most vulnerable national parks." The NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service's methods produced estimates of between 1579 and 4007 horses, and between 2131 and 5639 horses, each with a 95 per cent confidence rating. The wildlife service is not expected to shoot any more brumbies in the area and it will maintain the 3000-horse population from mid-2027. Last week, parliament debated repealing the Kosciuszko Wild Horse Heritage Act 2018, introduced by the Nationals to protect the "heritage value" of the brumby population and shape the current population targets. Mr Gough pointed out no MPs had spoken against the proposal. Water quality, threatened species and sensitive areas will all be monitored to track the park's continued recovery. A famed alpine national park appears to be on the mend after a brumby cull, but some still question the process taken to control the population. Surveys across the Kosciuszko National Park estimate the wild horse population has been slashed to between 1579 and 5639 in little more than a year. It puts park operators on track to hit a mandated target of 3000 feral horses over nearly one-third of the park by mid-2027. Before-and-after images from the park show reduced bare ground and increased vegetation coverage, along with less soil damage and trampling of stream banks. But Animal Justice Party MP Emma Hurst, who chaired a parliamentary inquiry into the aerial shooting of brumbies, said the data supported previous claims the population had been overstated. "The last population estimate was between 17,000 and 21,700 horses, but now the park could have around 1500 horses left after the removal of 8954 horses," she told AAP. "Aerial shooting is extremely cruel and unjustified and - given there is now a recognition that the number of horses in the park were never anywhere near as high as the government claimed - it should be taken off the table entirely." The Australian Brumby Alliance also questioned the data and said it didn't correlate with what they had seen on the ground. Culling should stop if the population was so low. "The ABA calls on the government and Parks NSW to cease all trapping and shooting and work with the community to build a plan that is well-informed and involves experienced locals who have been working with the brumbies for many years," president Nikki Alberts told AAP. Aerial brumby shooting resumed in NSW under the state Labor government in November 2023. About 6000 have been clipped since to progress towards the population targets. The headway was welcomed by the Invasive Species Council, who said the declining population showed genuine momentum towards protecting the park. "We're finally seeing a turning point," chief executive Jack Gough said. "Fewer hard-hooved feral animals trampling the fragile alpine environment means more native species returning, more delicate wetlands recovering and more hope for one of Australia's most vulnerable national parks." The NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service's methods produced estimates of between 1579 and 4007 horses, and between 2131 and 5639 horses, each with a 95 per cent confidence rating. The wildlife service is not expected to shoot any more brumbies in the area and it will maintain the 3000-horse population from mid-2027. Last week, parliament debated repealing the Kosciuszko Wild Horse Heritage Act 2018, introduced by the Nationals to protect the "heritage value" of the brumby population and shape the current population targets. Mr Gough pointed out no MPs had spoken against the proposal. Water quality, threatened species and sensitive areas will all be monitored to track the park's continued recovery. A famed alpine national park appears to be on the mend after a brumby cull, but some still question the process taken to control the population. Surveys across the Kosciuszko National Park estimate the wild horse population has been slashed to between 1579 and 5639 in little more than a year. It puts park operators on track to hit a mandated target of 3000 feral horses over nearly one-third of the park by mid-2027. Before-and-after images from the park show reduced bare ground and increased vegetation coverage, along with less soil damage and trampling of stream banks. But Animal Justice Party MP Emma Hurst, who chaired a parliamentary inquiry into the aerial shooting of brumbies, said the data supported previous claims the population had been overstated. "The last population estimate was between 17,000 and 21,700 horses, but now the park could have around 1500 horses left after the removal of 8954 horses," she told AAP. "Aerial shooting is extremely cruel and unjustified and - given there is now a recognition that the number of horses in the park were never anywhere near as high as the government claimed - it should be taken off the table entirely." The Australian Brumby Alliance also questioned the data and said it didn't correlate with what they had seen on the ground. Culling should stop if the population was so low. "The ABA calls on the government and Parks NSW to cease all trapping and shooting and work with the community to build a plan that is well-informed and involves experienced locals who have been working with the brumbies for many years," president Nikki Alberts told AAP. Aerial brumby shooting resumed in NSW under the state Labor government in November 2023. About 6000 have been clipped since to progress towards the population targets. The headway was welcomed by the Invasive Species Council, who said the declining population showed genuine momentum towards protecting the park. "We're finally seeing a turning point," chief executive Jack Gough said. "Fewer hard-hooved feral animals trampling the fragile alpine environment means more native species returning, more delicate wetlands recovering and more hope for one of Australia's most vulnerable national parks." The NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service's methods produced estimates of between 1579 and 4007 horses, and between 2131 and 5639 horses, each with a 95 per cent confidence rating. The wildlife service is not expected to shoot any more brumbies in the area and it will maintain the 3000-horse population from mid-2027. Last week, parliament debated repealing the Kosciuszko Wild Horse Heritage Act 2018, introduced by the Nationals to protect the "heritage value" of the brumby population and shape the current population targets. Mr Gough pointed out no MPs had spoken against the proposal. Water quality, threatened species and sensitive areas will all be monitored to track the park's continued recovery.
