(Australia) Fed: Sporting Shooters welcome review of gun laws

[Drizzt]

AAP NEWSFEED


October 24, 2002, Thursday

SECTION: Domestic News

LENGTH: 314 words

HEADLINE: Fed: Sporting Shooters welcome review of gun laws

DATELINE: CANBERRA, Oct 24

BODY:
The Sporting Shooters Association of Australia (SSAA) today welcomed a review of national hand gun laws and offered to do everything possible to stop the wrong people getting hold of guns.

State premiers and territory leaders met with Prime Minister John Howard today to discuss strengthening Australia's gun laws.

Mr Howard called for a ban on all handguns except those used in sports and law enforcement after the meeting. SSAA spokesman Gary Fleetwood said the Association wanted to ensure there was no repeat of the situation in Melbourne where the Monash gunman joined two clubs with neither knowing how many guns he had.

He said there also needed to be proper procedures to allow clubs to expel members believed to be unfit to own firearms.

"The recent events in Melbourne has determined that this national association of some 125,000 members works with government to ensure that all possible steps are taken to, as much as humanly possible, reduce the risk of inappropriate people taking possession of handguns," association spokesman Gary Fleetwood said.

"We have been working with government to ensure that the ability of genuine sporting shooters to continue with their chosen sport is not affected by legislation changes that may do little to promote public safety."

Mr Fleetwood said the issue must be dealt with using factual evidence and not emotional rhetoric.

"We believe ongoing discussions between the government and this association will achieve a workable and reputable outcome," he said.

"Nothing is set in concrete yet. And we have actually been invited to the table to discuss what is going on.

"At this stage we at least have a stake in the proceedings where back in 1996 we had no stake whatsoever. The talk of guns buyback is premature. There is lot of feeling that this is 1996 again. I don't think it is going to be anything like that."

 

[bruels]

SSAA spokesman Gary Fleetwood said the Association wanted to ensure there was no repeat of the situation in Melbourne where the Monash gunman joined two clubs with neither knowing how many guns he had.

The Sporting Shooters Association of Australia (SSAA) today welcomed a review of national hand gun laws and offered to do everything possible to stop the wrong people getting hold of guns.

Mr. Fleetwood sounds like the perfect Sonderkommando.

 

[Radagast]

Actually he's doing the best he can with a bad situation. At this point it looks like we've lost all of our centrefire handguns. If he can keep the issue in play until the next Federal Election when our anti gun Prime Minister is due to retire then that's a) an 18 month reprieve and b) a chance to teach the horse to sing.

Radagast

 

[Bruce in West Oz]

What can I say?? SSAA has accepted vague "assurances" from the Prime Minister that it will be "allowed" have some input into defining who can and can not have a gun.

Gary has worked tirelessly for the SSAA ---- but I am appalled at the attitude that is creeping into their thinking lately of "it's going to happen anyway, so let's make the best of it, OK?".

I've even heard shooters saying they would "happily" submit to twice-yearly psychological testing, provided the govt "let" them "keep their guns".

OK! While I was typing this, I had a phone call from Gary Fleetwood (in response to an e-mail I sent him 30 minutes ago). The press report is, of course, skewed. SSAA has agreed that a "review" is inevitable. The Monash shooter caused this because:

(a) He joined a club and applied for handguns
(b) After getting support for 4, he was knocked back by his own club when he applied for more -- we (club committee members) are very twitchy about people trying to use us as "milch cows" for gun licences.
(c) He went and joined a totally separate club, without anyone knowing of his membership of the first, and gained support for another 3 handguns -- it was those 3 he used to kill and wound the students at the University.

So -- the review of gun laws is an attempt to tighten administration, so that Clubs can be made aware of dual memberships/supports etc. The Prime Minister is flying kites with the rest, and has little or no support from the Federal government or even the Opposition for his banning and buyback scheme.

There may be a glimmer of hope -- but it's going to be a long 4 weeks until the Police Ministers meet and make their decision.

Bruce

 

[Radagast]

Thanks for the update Bruce.
Here in NSW there is no requirement to inform ones club of purchases and I am a member of two clubs so that when the political bitching at committee level gets too much I simply swing over to the other. This sounds like window dressing.
Face it, he would have done the deed with the guns from his first club if he hadn't gotten the 3 from the second.
There is no way I am submitting to a shrink. They a) founded the gun control mob in Australia and b) seem to have produced every nutter we've had.
I'm going to look into a security master licence. It'd cost the same per year as my club memberships with less restrictions.

Radagast