Ricky Muir
Ricky Muir appears set to run for a seat in the Victorian parliament. The former Australian Motoring Enthusiast Party senator, who now runs a small sawmill in Gippsland, has announced he is joining the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party. Source: The Yass Tribune
“Leaving the Senate back in the 2016 election certainly wasn’t the end of politics for me,” Mr Muir said on the steps of Parliament House.
But he insists he has not yet made a decision about standing as a candidate. He said he became politically engaged again because the state government was “failing” timber workers in Gippsland.
“It’s no secret that there’s a lot of issues in the timber industry that need addressing quite thoroughly and quite quickly, that’s why I’ve decided to become politically engaged again,” he said.
“Politics is a blood thirsty game and you really need people of honest stature to stand there and not just repeat pre-written party lines but try and represent their electorate to the best of their ability.”
Mr Muir said campaigning against a proposal to build the Great Forest National Park was one of the main reasons he chose to re-engage with a political party.
“If I was to run again I suspect that would be one of the key factors,” he said. “I would run a no-bull campaign and offer Gippsland an alternative candidate who is willing to work with either side of government in the best interest of the electorate.
“Regional blue collar voters who thought the ALP would support their job, lifestyle, hobbies and interests need someone other than the Lib/Nat unholy alliance to vote for.”
He said members of his electorate had visited his sawmill, asking him to run in the 2018 election.
“I have had a lot of people come through the doors of our sawmill and suggest that running in State or Federal Parliament at some stage would be a positive step,” Mr Muir said.
The Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party holds two seats in the Victorian Parliament giving them crucial votes on legislation.
Mr Muir said his role in the party would for now be “an advocacy” role.
“The first step was becoming a member and of course announcing it,” he said.
Shooters, Fishers and Farmers MP Jeff Bourman said Mr Muir was an ideal fit.
“He believes in everything our party did anyway. He’s an advocate for outdoor public land use,” he said.
Mr Bourman said the party was working on a strategy for the next election.
“Politics is a numbers game, the more people you have in Parliament, the more likely you are to get traction on your issues,” he said.
Mr Muir shot to fame after being elected to the federal Senate in 2013 due to a complex preference deal.
