Disappointed in the silence. Here is the email I sent.

I am disappointed in members of Parliament, and I am disappointed in the media.

Most of the House of Assembly have not acknowledged the email I sent last Saturday. The media will not talk about it either. Law-abiding firearms owners wanting to feed people who cannot afford protein does not fit the story they already tell. I will keep fighting for a better outcome anyway. Not just for licensed owners. For people in this community living with severe food insecurity.

I do want to thank the members who have written to say they would support this Bill being introduced. They have acknowledged the advocacy, and the work that has gone into it. I appreciate that.

This is the email I sent on Saturday 17 October, in full. It opens with “See attachments please!” because I forwarded the original December email, with the draft Bill and the supporting information sheet attached.

See attachments please!

To all Members of the Tasmanian Parliament,

I’ve just read the latest Tasmanian Country piece about the government “speeding up” deer management consultation and the familiar line that there is “no silver bullet.”

That’s the problem in a nutshell. There is constant talk about numbers, zones, permits, aerial culling and reviews, yet very little action that actually uses the hunters and landholders who are already out there doing the work. Comments under the article make the same point many of us have made for years: numbers are still an issue in some places, access is still hard, red tape still gets in the way, and good meat is still being left to rot while people are doing it tough. Ignoring the fact that this sudden announcement is outside the replacement birth rate of deer as fawns are yet to be seen and somewhat confusing without realistic counts.

In December 2025 I sent every one of you a complete, ready-to-use draft bill – the Primary Produce Safety Amendment (Wild Game Meat Donation) Bill 2025. It sets up two practical pathways:

• A regulated pathway with basic hygiene training, field dressing, chilling, tagging and delivery to an accredited processor so the meat can go safely to food banks and charities.

• A simpler unregulated pathway for direct donations of processed or whole meat to registered charities, clearly labelled “DONATED WILD GAME – NOT FOR SALE – GIVEN AS IS,” with liability protections so hunters and processors aren’t left exposed.

It is modelled on what is already working in New Zealand. It builds on the commercial wild-shot deer trial. It keeps sale prohibited so it stays focused on relief, not a new market that undercuts farmers. It is written so it can be tabled and progressed without reinventing the wheel.

Nearly a year later, almost no one has even acknowledged receiving it, let alone moved to table it or adapt it. That is not good enough.

We are in a cost-of-living crisis. Food banks are under pressure. Families are struggling to put decent protein on the table. Hunters and landholders are already managing deer and wallaby. The meat is there. The legislative pathway is sitting in your inboxes. Yet the response so far has been more reviews, more consultation, and more statements that there is “no silver bullet.”

Talking about deer management while leaving usable meat to waste and refusing to look at a practical bill that would put food in front of people doing it tough is just talk. It is unacceptable for members of Parliament to talk the talk and not walk the walk.

I am asking every member – Liberal, Labor, Greens and Independents – to actually read the draft bill that was provided to you. If you have concerns, raise them. If you want minor changes, say so. If you are serious about deer management and helping people through the cost-of-living crisis, then table it or support someone who will.

Hunters are not the problem. They are part of the solution. The bill is ready. The need is obvious. It is time to stop talking and get on with it.

Every one of you knows that, irrespective of political sides, we must do the best for Tasmanians and lead by example for other states and territories. You all have the opportunity to do so, and you have had that opportunity all year.

Irrespective of political alignments or beliefs, I will do what is absolutely essential to help those in need. I have done what I can. The rest is up to those of you who are democratically elected to represent the constituents who trust you will do what is essential to help those who need it most.

I would like to thank the very few of you who personally contacted me earlier in the year acknowledging this draft bill and offering support if it were to be tabled.

I look forward to hearing from you all so we can create a practical pathway forward at a time when the community sees members of Parliament standing alongside food banks and charities, supporting the work already being done, and actually helping get meaningful protein-rich food to those in need of which has been expressed extensively in the media over the past year.

I look forward to hearing from you all.