Well folks,
the high level people who we would highly expect that should be doing the correct law abiding thing to ensure a strong future for law abiding recreational hunting Australians,
actually went about and set the worst possible example for our much loved & valued activity:
(remember this NSWGC communications & marketing officer, was gainfully employed and entrusted to specifically represent and promote the future of ethical hunting for many thousands in NSW,
in addition it also represented an image to the nations general public perception of the millions of legal gun-owners across the nation as a whole)

http://huntandshoot.com.au/art...cting-ceo-convicted/ ..

[quote]
Greg McFarland and Edward Hoogenboom have been convicted of hunting and firearm offenses in relation to an incident in December 2012

The actions of these two men can largely be seen as the catalyst for the shutdown of the Game Council in NSW.

McFarland, the former acting CEO of The NSW Game Council and GC Volunteer Hoogenboom pleaded guilty to the charges of illegal hunting and carrying firearms onto enclosed land.
Both men received a $300 fine and a 12 month good behaviour bond.

Personally, I find it distressing that Greg McFarland, that had such a prominent and important position in representing hunting and overseeing hunting in NSW abused his power
and ruined hunting on NSW Public land for so long whilst giving all R Licensed hunters a bad name. I do understand that the events of that fateful day may not be what is claimed
by the prosecution or the media but even if the events are not exactly what happened you would think someone with such responsibility to hunters in NSW would have made sure he was
never put in a situation in which he could be seen in a bad light.

I know that if I was completely innocent and I had no involvement in the events that I was charged for I would maintain my innocence and not plead guilty like Mr McFarland.

If Mr McFarland was 100% innocent why plead guilty? Isn’t clearing your name better than a plea bargain especially for the sake of hunting on public lands in NSW?

It really is a disappointing story and a slap in the face to law abiding hunters and shooters.

Here’s the link to the original article: [endquote]

link:

http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/game...-20140213-32nd9.html ..

[quote]

The former head of the Game Council, whose illegal killing of a feral goat started a chain reaction that led to the abolition of the council
and the scuttling of plans to allow hunters access to national parks in NSW, has been convicted of hunting and firearms offences.
Greg McFarland, 51, who initially denied taking any part in the goat hunt in December 2012, pleaded guilty in Parkes Local Court this week
to entering private land to hunt an animal without the consent of the owner, and carrying firearms onto enclosed land.
His co-accused, Edward Hoogenboom, 66, a veteran Game Council volunteer, was also convicted.

Both men were fined $300 for illegal hunting and given a 12-month good behaviour bond for entering private property with firearms.

The killing occurred on the isolated Karwarn cattle station south of Cobar. Station owner Diane Noble had reported a Game Council vehicle
breaking a fence and entering her property in pursuit of a male goat. She took pictures of the dead goat, which had been stripped of its ''trophy horns''.

McFarland was stood down from his role as Game Council acting chief executive by Primary Industries Minister Katrina Hodgkinson, but he insisted he had done nothing wrong.
The Game Council and its backers in the Shooters and Fishers Party called for hunters to boycott Fairfax Media as a result of the story, which they said was untrue.

Shooters MP Robert Borsak conducted his own ''investigation'' in the days after McFarland was suspended.

Mr Borsak found that McFarland and Hoogenboom had been ''checking signs in the area'' when they met a party of hunters from Victoria.

''Someone from this group [from Victoria] shot that goat, took its head and was either found out by the owner or decided to cover their tracks by lying about who did it,''
he said at the time.

''Either way these fellows lied about the whole affair,'' he told a hunters forum.

''Greg … [has] been suspended, the GC's reputation has been tarnished … but it/we will be vindicated, I guarantee that, so does [Mr Borsak's party colleague] Robert Brown.''

The killing led to an inquiry by the O'Farrell government into governance at the Game Council. In July, Ms Hodgkinson announced the dissolution of the authority.

An independent review found the council lacked any governance framework and did not possess the ''skills, tools and resources to ensure effective compliance'' with its
regulatory responsibility to ensure safe, ethical hunting.

Plans to allow hunters virtually unfettered access to national parks have been wound back to hunts overseen by government officers in just 12 remote parks.
[endquote]

Wow - incredibly old news, regurgitated for some unknown reason. The Game Council was killed-off, in a political maneuver by former premier Barry O'Farrell - not by the misdemeanors of a former GC employee.

The Game Council structure is now with the Game Unit inside DPI (which oversaw GC anyhow) - State Forest hunting has been reopened. It is time to move along with positivity....

quote:

Originally posted by Matt Graham:
Wow - incredibly old news, regurgitated for some unknown reason. The Game Council was killed-off, in a political maneuver by former premier Barry O'Farrell
- not by the misdemeanors of a former GC employee.

The convictions are not old news to the AR forum, so some members might appreciate knowing what happened in the end with the NSWGC guys charged with offences.
and going by the 100+ view rate within 24hrs, id say their is some interest from other shooters....So far the only person objecting to the thread is you!
so just remember Matt ,.. you are not the forum, nor the person to decide what interests other people on the forum.


The offences of the time by high ranking GC employee, certainly didn't help the NSWGC cause.

Anyway Mr. Graham, IIRC , last yr you objected to me posting on AR about such frauds & law breakers being exposed & charged.

idiotically & falsely accusing me of being someone called "Peter"(who ever the fck that is). ...Both Borsak and yourself made complete idiots of yourselves.

quote:

''Greg … [has] been suspended, the GC's reputation has been tarnished … but it/we will be vindicated, I guarantee that, so does [Mr Borsak's party colleague] Robert Brown.''

so much for 'guarantees' from politicians like Shooters Party MP , Mr. Borsak & colleagues.

Intelligent people wait for the outcome of thorough police investigations,and don't base their final judgement on their own brief private investigation,
regarding such serious allegations/incidents.....But like all politicians, Borsak & colleages have learnt to first deny,deny,deny.


Greg McFarland and Edward Hoogenboom, were fortunate in that they were put through the local court system,
the DPP can take it to the district court system if they like, where penalties are often harsher.

A rundown on the law regarding firearm offences:

http://australiancriminallawye...nsw_firearm_offences

In particular regarding this case:

http://australiancriminallawye...passing_with_Firearm

You can drink your coffee while reading anti-inspired news from February 2014 - but this has all been played out in the public domain - including follow-up comments from Borsak. The article you quoted is by the same newspaper and the very author who whipped this whole story up into the witch-hunt that allowed O'Farrell to have his wicked way with the Game Council and NSW hunters.

Seriously - get a life. Everyone else is over the whole clusterfuck and getting on with the battle.

There are some of course who want to bring the SFP down with it - are you one of them?

Like I said, this[the convictions] have never been mentioned/discussed on AR.
So Matt, I repeat: -You are not the forum nor are you all its members, can't your ego accept that?

You are the only person that has objected to this thread on AR, but you want to call the shots on it.
what a control freak!


Acting CEO of NSWGC- Greg McFarland, broke firearm trespass laws and was convicted, thats not a witch-hunt, thats simply justice.
however you are so paranoid about the greenies, that you have lost the plot- your rational mind no longer functions as it should.
Just accept that one of the shooting/hunting fraternities own kind, did a totally irresponsible & unlawful act, and got caught.
worst of all, it was a person officially delegated to represent the ethical standards of law abiding recreational hunters.

Mr.Borsak conducting his own private investigation and declaring McFarland prematurely innocent, was so absolutely dumb.

quote:

Originally posted by Matt Graham:
Everyone else is over the whole clusterfuck

The fact that just over 100 members viewed the thread I posted within 24hrs , tells that you are completely wrong.
- try to stop thinking and deciding for other people on the forum,.. that is if your control freak ego nature allows you to.

BTW:The count currently is at 162 views, near 60% up from when I first logged on less than 2hrs ago.

Maybe they are just curious to read your latest drivel?

The witch-hunt that I was referring to was not about getting Macfarlane (who obviously did the 'wrong thing') but tearing down the entire Game Council and discrediting the former Chairman turned politician (Borsak) in the process.

As for dickhead MacFarlane "it was a person officially delegated to represent the ethical standards of law abiding recreational hunters" - what was he? The marketing manager or something, standing in for the CEO while he was away. Yes mistakes were made (like hiring the drongo in the first place)... but his misdemeanors could have easily been handled by the police and other disciplinary actions.

"Just accept that one of the shooting/hunting fraternities own kind, did a totally irresponsible & unlawful act, and got caught."- everybody did - more than 18 months ago. Time to move on...

I am not protesting the thread itself. I am protesting you writing drivel as usual, unchallenged.

quote:

Originally posted by Matt Graham:
Maybe they are just curious to read your latest drivel?

There you go assuming and guessing again on the behalf of other people,
Why do you give so many other members on the forum so little credence?
Your ego at work again?

Id say its more likely the straightforward subject title of the thread actually interests them.

I repeat,....THe only person protesting my posts is You.

Now lets see if you can resist posting on a thread you claim should not exist.

quote:

Originally posted by Matt Graham:
his misdemeanors could have easily been handled by the police and other disciplinary actions.

Thats is why it was totally foolish for Borsak to conclude from his own unreliable private investigation,
that McFarland and the NSWGC, would be vindicated.
He proclaimed and 'guaranteed' their innocence before proper due process was followed....thats really dumb.

But he is a politician after all.

quote:

Originally posted by Matt Graham:
... discrediting the former Chairman turned politician (Borsak) in the process.

Borsak did discredit to himself and the NSWGC by 'guaranteeing' acting executive officer McFarland as innocent,
-based only on his own rash and inept private investigation.

Yeah - maybe they thought he did it again?

quote:

Originally posted by Matt Graham:
Yeah - maybe they thought he did it again?

There you go haphazardly guessing and attempting to mind read all the forum members, yet again.
Theres prof.help available for your compulsive disorder,.. but you're ego,thats your own personal battle.

Matt, the way you keep responding, its looks like you want this thread to stay alive.
your actions totally contradict your own statements...you really need to develop some self awareness skills.

Anyway keep posting & bumping, I don't mind, the more people that read it the better as a far as I'm concerned...

when you resort to that kind of crap - it is just too funny!!!!!!

quote:

Originally posted by Matt Graham:
when you resort to that kind of crap - it is just too funny!!!!!!

Matt seriously take a good look at yourself;

-First you say its a thread subject that should not be here on AR and deserves no attention, that everyone should move on.

-Next thing you do is keep posting on that same thread to help keep it alive and at the top of the forum.

In effect- You totally contradict yourself.

BTW: viewer count is up near 300 now, near three times what it was just this time yesterday.
..and in large part thanks to you Matt.....

Readers will see that I added the important bits - such as where we are NOW with NSW State Forest hunting. These are the issues that will concern hunters - not regurgitated, biased news articles.

I am done - no doubt you will want the last word. Slip the boot in with more mental health advice

quote:

Originally posted by Matt Graham:
I am protesting you writing drivel as usual, unchallenged.

Re: drivel, lets see.....

You are the guy who sternly insists that a 40lb native dog-Dingo, represents the same natural threat to adult buffalo
as the African lion.... ....how did you reach such height of delusion?

Matt theres no need to falsely hype up the Ozzie bush like that,
Dingo in anyones honest sensible rational mind are nothing like the capability of a lion, let alone
a thousand pound++ of a prides collective active lion muscle,Jaws and claws all working in unison.

and since you are clearly into personal fantasies and foolish unfounded assumptions,
I suppose you are still convinced that I am the person that you know as "Peter"..
(Who the fck is this mystery Peter?)

Wow - I think it is pretty clear who wants to keep the thread running for their own twisted amusement!!

I have never, ever stated that about the dingo. That is an outright lie.

quote:

Originally posted by Matt Graham:
Wow - I think it is pretty clear who wants to keep the thread running for their own twisted amusement!!

Matt,
why do you keep bumping a thread subject that you say should be long forgotten and not be on the forum?
Why do you expect others to 'move on' when you yourself cannot?......why are you such a blatant hypocrite?

quote:

Originally posted by Matt Graham:
I have never, ever stated that about the dingo. That is an outright lie.

But I am some phantom you call "Peter" in your mind, you said it so it must be true!
Just like Borsak 'guaranteed' that McFarland was totally innocent of the criminal act.

you are all so sure of yourselves & your assertions , but only manage to make utter idiots of yourselves in the process.
You would have fitted in rather well with the incompetent dills running the defunct NSWGC.

Honest aboveboard people don't make false cover for a NSWGC officer nominated to act in an important higher position of CEO
who is under investigation for a criminal firearms related act.

It showed low intelligence,low integrity and poor decision making at the very top of the NSWGC and sadly from more than just one
high level NSWGC person....and it reflected badly in the eyes of the nations general public toward the whole shooting community across the country.

As if McFarlands criminal actions were not foolish & damaging enough, other GC executives then had add to with their own foolish non-credible
statements in support of him.

Well I guess the readers will have realised by now that you didn't create this thread to educate and inform them - but to push your own little barrow.

quote:

Originally posted by Matt Graham:
Well I guess the readers will have realised by now that you didn't create this thread to educate and inform them
- but to push your own little barrow.

Matt,
your blatant hypocrisy continues, You want everyone else to 'move on' from the subject,
but you yourself still cannot.
You claim to detest this thread subject, yet you are the only other member actually responding to help keep it alive.

As far as what value other members find in the criminal conviction information provided by this thread,
I will wisely leave up to each individual to decide.... They are free to comment if they wish.

They can take or leave my personal comments regarding the thread subject, I don't really mind either way.

You are the only one who insisted that people should follow your desires and 'move on'
I am somewhat different , I prefer people to exercise their own free will and judgement.

- Why don't you lead by example by following your own advice- and move on, instead of being an utter hypocrite?

quote:

Originally posted by Matt Graham:
I am done -

yet you could not resist posting twice after saying that.

You keep it bumped by telling blatant lies to bait me. That much is clear.

Like the dingo comment for example ...

Where did I write that I .... "detest this thread subject".... I didn't you just tell lies.

quote:

Originally posted by Matt Graham:


Where did I write that I .... "detest this thread subject".... I didn't you just tell lies.

So you like this thread subject?... I never got that impression.

Theres no doubt that you expressed personal disapproval of the conviction information being posted by me.

Don't like/detest, much the same thing.[ most common dictionaries will tell you that... ]

re: lies....

You falsely told the forum previously I was "Peter", you consider that dill brain statement the absolute truth?
Who is this phantom Peter you spoke about?,... whats the big secret that you cannot tell the forum?

your attacks on me in this thread and blatant lies simply proves once again that you are nothing but a troll.

quote:

Originally posted by Matt Graham:
your attacks on me in this thread and blatant lies simply proves once again that you are nothing but a troll.

So I am ignorantly accused of being "Peter" in negative light by you - and thats somehow oK?
Your blatant hypocrisy just shines on through once again!
Why won't you clearly define who Peter is?, since you clearly mentioned the name in a thread regarding McFarland & NSWGC.
you make such rash idiotic immature statements and not surprisingly, you now run from them.

RE: - Don't like/detest, much the same thing.[ most any common dictionary will tell you that... ]

But in your convenient naive defence of your rash ignorant narrow mind you instead say I am 'lying'- Good-grief,
.. I am starting to feel sorry for you Matt.

Anyway keep playing the weak cowardly 'victim' approach, suites you real well...

-- We should never be shy of revealing fraudelent safari operators/booking agents,gunsmiths or any dodgy representatives of the hunting fraternity.
Of course not everybody has to agree, however I don't see the owner of the AR-forum Saeed, opposing my thread regarding the details of the convictions.
For those members with an inflated ego, just remember the AR forum is owned and the rules dictated by, Saeed,.. not you.

- a gentle reminder of our hosts invitation to post on AR;

[quote]
"This site was started by a group of shooters, whose interests include hunting, target shooting and plain plinking.
The idea was to share what we have learned from hunting, reloading, gunsmithing and any other shooting related ideas.
We are not affiliated to any company involved in the shooting and hunting sports. So what you will find here are our
actual experiences, good or bad. If you have any interesting ideas, or if you have come across anything you think might
be of interest to other fellow shooters, please consider sharing it with us, we would love to hear from you."
[endquote]