1890s: Project Possum
August 5, 2019
By AHNZ
New Zealand’s booming 1080 industry today owes its existence to State intervention in our history.
The New Zealand Government is the largest buyer of the metabolic poison (‘1080’) in the world. Some $100,000,000 every year is spent on importing the toxin and spreading it by helicopter. All of this is funnelled through a State Owned Enterprise called ACP Ltd. (aka Orillion.) The funny thing is that ACP’s Chairman is also the director of a helicopter company…
“When the Herald looked into how the rugby great could be drawn into the controversial debate, companies office documents show his fellow director, Murdoch, is also the chairman of the board of the state-owned company, Animal Control Products Ltd.”- NZ Herald
Without some Supervillian to justify the expense, all of our stolen money is simply being blown on biodegradable pellets and helicopter rides; Welfare for friends of The State. A huge industry relies upon the infamy of this introduced species, the opossum. So who introduced it?
Possums Are A Government Programme
Bringing the Australian opossum to New Zealand wasn’t easy. Establishing the pest involved both government permission and direct government action and expense.
The first successful introduction was instigated in 1858 by politician Christopher Basstian out the back of Riverton. Basstian had become a career politician¹ including seats on Provincial Councils and the House of Reps. However, this Tasmanian’s efforts to bring furry friends from his old homeland to his new were peanuts compared to those of The Liberals.
Between 1890 and 1898 was the boom time for the Government Possum Project. Without responsibility, without a free market, without price signals, The State recklessly taxed the public to transform the natural environment beyond all recognition.
The State “… became keenly interested, taking an active part in the importation of the animal from 1895 to 1906. The Right Hon. Dick Seddon was extremely enthusiastic, which is probably why most of the government liberations were in the Westland, Grey and Buller districts, which just happened to be within, or near, the Honourable Member’s own constituency.”- Exotic Intruders, J Druett (1983); NZETC
The public complained. Orchardists were among the first to realise the damage being done by the invasive pest. The State’s solution alternated between protecting the hungry Tribbles outright and selling £1 licences to be allowed to kill them! Farmers were placed in the cruel position of having multiplying Australian invaders gnawing at their crops and having no legal authority to raise a hand against them.
In 1889, 1894, and 1920 the Government put the opossum under protection and instructed their rangers to look after them so they would proliferate…
2. (1.) Except as provided by this Act, it shall not be lawful for any person to take or kill opossums.
(2.) For the purposes of this Act the term “opossum” includes
an animal of the species Trichosurus vulpecula or of the subspecies
Trichosurus fuliginosus.
3. (1) The Governor-General may from time to time, by
Warrant under his hand, define districts within which, subject
to regulations under this Act, it shall be lawful to take or kill opossums.- Animals Protection Amendment Act (1920)
Doing a 180: Compound 1080
By the time the Government stopped introducing and nurturing possums they were positively flourishing. The State Project became a victim of its own success because it did itself out of job. Never perturbed, a new way to exploit the possum was found. The State did a complete 180 on 1080², taxing the human population more than ever but this time to wipe out the possum population it had just established!
If you drive a car, I’ll tax the street,
If you try to sit, I’ll tax your seat.
If you get too cold I’ll tax the heat,
If you take a walk, I’ll tax your feet.–Taxman; The Beatles
Rest assured, if The State/ACP Ltd ever repeat the mistake of finishing the job they started by succeeding in controlling possums they will flip-flop again! The same old 1890s propaganda can be used again along with testimonials from political associates in Australia about the benign darlings and the prospects of a fur trade. Maybe next time they’ll call it ‘3060’.
“The problem is not the problem. The problem is your attitude about the problem”- Pirates of the Caribbean
The problem, you see, was never the possums. They are innocent victims in a government meat-grinder. No, the problem is the incredulity of the New Zealander toward the limitless capacity of Governments to say or do anything to gain and keep power. Up is down, black is white, possums are your friend, possums are your enemy. Dig that hole, now fill it in again; That’s productivity!
Our Enemy: The State
Without The Government who would introduce possums into our native bush?
And without The Government who would change their minds about that and spend tens of millions trying to kill the possums in our native bush?
State programmes always achieve the opposite of what they set out to do.
—
1 Ref. The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Otago & Southland Provincial Districts] (1905)
2 A 180 on 1080….is that the Illuminati Deep State’s idea of a joke? Calling it ‘Compound Tax You Either Way’ is too obvious?
Image ref. Possum spread from 1850 – 1990 in New Zealand. Landcare Research Ltd; predatorfreenz.org
Image ref. Opossum Survey Map – and Liberation Points – as at the year 1950; CAMP; Archives New Zealand R441918
Image ref. Garrick Tremain, ODT (2016)
Image ref. Police ‘watchlist’ has officers visiting those dobbed on tip lines and who post conspiracy theories online; NZ Herald
- Does writing online about 1080 put me on the Terror Watchlist now?
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