UnitedFuture - Unashamed Champion Of The Outdoors

UnitedFuture Ieader Peter Dunne has told the annual conference of the New Zealand Deerstalkers Association in Blenheim today that his party is the “unashamed champion” of all those who enjoy using New Zealand’s outdoor environment.

Mr Dunne told delegates that it was now time for outdoor groups to become more political in the pursuit of their objectives, as their values were “under constant attack from those who want to lock up the environment and conservation estate so that today’s. generations could no longer enjoy it”

“It is time to stop this elitist nonsense in its tracks once and for all – the best stewards of our outdoors heritage are those that use and enjoy it, rather than those who pontificate from their sitting rooms on the state of the world.

“Over the years, UnitedFuture has been the one party to advocate consistently for the interests of the outdoor recreation sector,” he said.

Mr Dunne told the conference UnitedFuture’s initiatives to establish a Game Animal Council and ban commercial heli-hunting would be achieved this year, even though he was no longer Associate Minister of Conservation.

“These are the most positive steps taken by any government in the last generation.

“They form part of our confidence and supply agreement with the National-led Government and I have the Prime Minister’s and the Minister of Conservation’s assurances they will proceed as planned, even though I am no longer a Minister.

“I will certainly be holding them to that – especially when it comes to other pieces of legislation they may need my support on,” he says.

Mr Dunne said UnitedFuture would continue to promote public access rights to the outdoor environment and fight the water-melon (green on the outside but red inside) approach that characterised environmental and conservation politics.

“With your ongoing support, which I acknowledge already, UnitedFuture can be the voice of reason in Parliament for the one million plus New Zealanders who hunt, fish and tramp in our great outdoors, but whose rights and stewardship is under constant threat.

“Working together, as we have done in recent years, we can change that,” he said.
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