Straight shooter likely to enter state parliament

The Shooters, Fishers and Farmers (SFF) Party could have its first member enter Tasmanian parliament as counting continues following the recent state election.

But the return of the Tasmanian Nationals to state politics was less successful, with the party securing less than two per cent of the first-preference votes.

Former Jacqui Lambie Network MPs Miriam Beswick and Andrew Jenner, who both ran for the Nationals, received around one per cent of the votes in their respective electorates of Braddon and Lyons.

However, as of Tuesday, SFF Lyons candidate Carlo Di Falco was sitting on a 0.56 quota and looking likely to secure the seventh seat in the electorate.

Mr Di Falco said it would be an honour to serve in state parliament.

“It’s great because I can finally do something for the people I’ve been talking to,” he said.

“There’s a lot of stuff that I’ve heard that has just been heartbreaking.”

Mr Di Falco said he believed he did well because the Lyons electorate realised the SFF “were not a one-trick pony”.

“We’re not just shooters and we’re not just fishermen.

“Our heart is in the country and we’re there to give people like ourselves a voice.”

Mr Di Falco said he had spoken to both Premier Jeremy Rockliff and Labor Leader Dean Winter.

“So far it’s only been a chat over a coffee and no doubt I’ll be talking to Jeremy.

“And before we talk in earnest I think all we need to do is sit down, get a feel for each other and see what we think of each other.

“But I don’t want to get ahead of myself because I’m still not confirmed.

“I don’t want to jinx myself because the Hare-Clark system is a funny little beast.”

SFF Tasmania Chair and Braddon candidate Adrian Pickin said the party had been operating in the state for nine years.

“We’ve struggled to get any media exposure for whatever reason but now the media are climbing over themselves to have a chat with the SFF,” Mr Pickin said.

“It means that what we stand for – straight-shooting and no bullshit – is what people have always seen us as and that’s now been recognised more broadly.

“We’re not counting our chickens yet but it’s looking promising.”

Mr Pickin said he was hoping preference flows would go Mr Di Falco’s way as the counting continued.

“We’ll be talking to our counterparts on the mainland to get some ideas and help Carlo get ready for his seat in parliament.

“At the moment we are just listening to our constituents and then we’ll make a decision.”

SFF Bass candidate Michal Frydrych is also a possibility of picking up the last seat in that electorate.

“The preferences may flow his way and there is an outside chance, but with the Hare-Clark system, you just never know what might happen,” Mr Pickin said.

Meanwhile, Tasmanian Nationals Bass candidate Carl Cooper said the party's election result was below expectations.

“There are complex reasons why that’s happened but we still think we’re a great brand,” Mr Cooper said.

“We do understand that Tasmania needs some options in terms of conservatives who have an eye on the future of the state.”

Mr Cooper said the Tasmanian Nationals intend to contest future state elections.

“I think everyone recognises that the situation with the minority governments is complex.

“We still need to be able to govern this place for the betterment of our children and the future of this place.

“We can’t be in a position where all we do is fight and we can’t continue in a position where one group thinks they are the sole arbiter of the solution.
“We have to work better together.”

TasFarmers President Ian Sauer said the election outcome was predictable and urged the members of the next parliament not to go back to the polls again before the end of a full four-year term.

“This is not the place where the Tasmanian community need to be, nor is it helpful for agriculture and what the community have been after, which is consistency and certainty,” Mr Sauer said.

“We’re over it, we’re sick of it and it’s up to the parliamentarians to be the adults in the room and make the parliament work.”

Tasfarmers put out its election scorecard towards the end of the campaign, with Mr Sauer saying that both major parties “scraped through with a pass” regarding agricultural policy.

“That’s not good enough in my view.

“Agriculture is one of the economic, social and environmental pillars of the Tasmanian community.

“We will make sure that all of the things that we put in our election package will be prosecuted harder.”