Matho’s blog: Bad laws and worse politics


Robert Borsak and Robert Brown are hard at it in the NSW parliament right now, desperately trying to fend off that woefully misguided legislation Premier Barry O’Farrell is trying to foist upon us.

The Shooters and Fishers Party politicians are just two Upper House members against a concerted effort by the Coalition with support from the Greens and Labor.

It’s sickening to watch politics play out like this while a ridiculous law is slapped down with no thought for its real impacts.

This legislation, which bans us from buying ammo for any gun we don’t own, will not work. It cannot possibly slow the rate of drive-by shootings in Sydney or the gang crime that’s been going on for years. And no one in the debate has said anything to make me think differently.

But if there’s a good headline in it, a “tough on crime” moment in the evening news, O’Farrell and his flailing mob will be mightily pleased with themselves. It’s pathetic.

The worst is the utter hypocrisy of the Greens. There are two parts to O’Farrell’s legislative attack on crime gangs: the ammo law and a number of laws aimed at criminal association and criminal activity. The latter are generally considered a resurrection in modified form of the failed bikie laws that the High Court overturned in both SA and NSW.

The Greens are screaming in opposition about the return of the bikie laws.

Read what Greens MP David Shoebridge has to say about them. Wherever you read “gang law” or similar, substitute “gun law” and then tell me that you’re not left sitting there with your chin on the floor afterwards.

“Proposed legislation by the O’Farrell government aimed at reviving Labor’s failed anti-gang laws is a further step in the wrong direction and is likely to distract police from the real task of focusing on gangs’ existing criminal activity,” he says.

“This new law will likely do little to address gang violence and end up being a distraction from the real task of targeting gangs’ existing criminal activity.

“It is ridiculous to think that a group of people who already flout laws prohibiting extortion, murder and gun-running will suddenly be brought to heal by a new law that outlaws their club.

“Labor and the Coalition are tripping over themselves to be seen to be doing something here, rather than looking into directing police resources towards dealing with organised violence and crime.” Well, gotta agree with the man on that last point.

Finally, Shoebridge has the hide to say the Greens “have been arguing for an increased focus on firearm ownership and ammunition sales for some time and the firearms amendments will safely pass through Parliament with the Greens’ support.”

Un. Be. Lievable.

This is what we are up against. Not just from the Greens. The Liberals, Nationals and Labor are all the same, as Queensland’s shooters know only too well. All of them persecute law-abiding firearm owners and use us as a political punching bag every time a suitable issue comes up.

And they wonder why shooters have become political.

If you haven’t joined the Shooters and Fishers Party, or contributed to their meagre funding, now’s a very good time to consider it.

Cheers,

Mick Matheson

 

 

 


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Mick Matheson

Mick grew up with guns and journalism, and has included both in his career. A life-long hunter, he has long-distant military experience and holds licence categories A, B and H. In the glory days of print media, he edited six national magazines in total, and has written about, photographed and filmed firearms and hunting for more than 15 years.

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