marilynnuske.com

I would like to make it clear that I am in no way connected to the new group Companions and Pets, nor Animal Justice Party.

The new group Companions and Pets, is launching a political party “to take on Animal Justice Party”. The new group seems to be grounded in agriculture and dog breeders, including greyhounds for greyhound racing.

I am running as an Independent Candidate Bendigo West, the Lower House, not just to give a strong Voice in Parliament for rural disadvantage including Social and Public Housing, but Native and Iconic Wildlife, not domestic pets. I will be announcing a Public and Social Housing Scheme shortly that I will be introducing into Parliament at the first possible time, if elected.

I am also running on a platform of Native and Iconic Wildlife conservation which includes Native Dingoes. Many farmers nowadays are in fact pro Dingo, for example the group Landholders for Dingoes who believe Dingoes give stock protection from predation by foxes and feral dogs, and have abandoned the use of any lethal control for that reason.

Dingo groups and organisations that I am connected with want to work with farmers.  The simplistic inherited image of the dingo as an “invasive pest” is being superseded by a body of independent scientific research which has identified the dingo as crucial to ecosystem health and resilience.

We are at an historic crossroad in time, where use of 1080 and other poisons must be abandoned to be replaced with alternatives, for example compensation to farmers for any genuine stock loss to dingo predation, greater use of guardian animals, improved fencing including electric fencing that will keep feral dogs and other predators at bay.

Cruel 1080 poison must be left behind as it has too many negatives in the environment, not limited to Dingo destruction but collateral destruction of raptor, kookaburra, lizards, goanna and domestic dogs. We need to replace poisons  with progressive  farming practices.

In Victoria, Dingoes are a threatened native species, protected under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act.