The Shooters Fishers and Farmers Party gave all Australian shooters something to celebrate this week with the announcement of a likely repeal to the controversial “Ammo Bill” by the NSW Government.
Shooters Fishers and Farmers Party MLC Robert Borsak today welcomed Government legislation aimed at repealing the controversial Firearms Amendment (Ammunition Control) Bill 2012.
“I am proud that we are on the verge or repealing Barry O’Farrell’s controversial ‘Ammo Bill’,” Mr Borsak said.
“This is the product of five years of advocacy by the Shooters Fishers and Farmers Party, and a National Party in Government who is in disarray following our Orange by-election win last year.
“The ‘Ammo Bill’ will be repealed as part of the Firearms and Weapons Legislation Amendment Bill 2017 that was introduced in the Upper House by the Government today.
“We are now delivering on our promise to repeal the ‘Ammo Bill’ – a personal attack on our party by Barry O’Farrell in 2012 after we refused to blindly pass his legislation.”
“The Shooters Fishers and Farmers Party does not support reclassifying lever-action shotguns whatsoever, given that this was an unjustified knee-jerk reaction by Tony Abbott to the Lindt Caf√© Siege.
“Today’s coronial inquest made no mention of legally-owned firearms or lever-action shotguns being involved whatsoever; so there is no rationale for a category change.”
An extract of the explanatory note for the aims of the bill attached below:
Mr Borsak added that his party is closely scrutinising the bill to make sure there are no ‘poison pills’ for law-abiding firearms owners.
Antis Up In Arms
Greens David Shoebridge and Gun Control Australia’s Samantha Lee went into meltdown once the repeal of the Ammo Bill was announced.
Greens MLC David Shoebridge said the relaxation of the number of Category D weapons was particularly concerning in light of the Port Arthur massacre. An argument that is well and truly past it’s used by date.
He argued ammunition tracking “gives police real-time information that can be crucial for investigating gun crime” and said it was “extraordinary” to relax ammunition controls amid a heightened terror alert.
Safe storage “is essential in Australia’s success in reducing firearms deaths, especially suicides,” he said.
The chair of Gun Control Australia, Samantha Lee, said it was “devastating that [the National Firearms Agreement] is being used by the government as a political football to win gun votes”.
Shooters and Fishers Party MLC Robert Borsak opposed the reclassification of lever action shotguns, but agreed that recording of addresses of people buying ammunition “only gives criminals a shopping list of where legally owned firearms are held”.
He said storage control changes were “a smarter way of handling compliance amongst licensed, law-abiding firearms owners”.
http://www.shootersfishersandfarmers.org.au/ammo_bill_to_be_repealed
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