(Australia) Minister aims to help shooters tote big guns

[Drizzt]

Perth Sunday Times


February 2, 2003, Sunday

LENGTH: 250 words

HEADLINE: Minister aims to help shooters tote big guns

BYLINE: PAUL LAMPATHAKIS

BODY:
POLICE Minister Michelle Roberts is to target Canberra for sporting shooters.

Mrs Roberts will go to the Federal Government to plead the case of shooters who want to be allowed to continue using hand guns of .38 calibre and above for high-level category sports events. About 300 recreational shooters marched to the minister's office yesterday to seek her support on the issue.

Members of the Sporting Shooters Association of Australia's WA branch say the Federal Government has left the future of their sport in doubt.

Association vice-president Paul Peake said the Council of Australian Governments decided last December to restrict the use of hand guns of .38 calibre or above, except for a limited number of accredited events that had yet to be identified.

This followed a Monash University incident last October in which two people were shot dead by a licensed shooter.

A spokesman for Mrs Roberts said Prime Minister John Howard had previously given a commitment that people using guns for legitimate purposes and high-level sporting events would not be penalised.

He said Mrs Roberts would take up the cause of the sports shooters to ensure Mr Howard kept that commitment.

Mr Peake said the Monash incident was the result of Victoria's lax gun licensing system at the time.

The Federal Government's peak criminology authority, the Australian Institute of Criminology, believed criminals were the group least likely to be affected by further firearm restrictions.

 

[Bruce in West Oz]

1. I'll believe her "support" when it happens; her political party platform is anti-gun and she has to vote on a party line.

2. The "300 recreational shooters" were estimated by various sources as between 1500 and 2000 --- marched five abreast, stretching two city blocks!

3. The story is wrong -- it is NOT ".38 and above" -- .38 cal. is allowed; it is calibres OVER .38 that are in contention.

4. The problem is that the Premier of Western Australia has refused -- point blank -- to even speak to any representative of the shooting sports. He is prepared to make new legislation without even talking with those affected by it! Oh, yes, now I understand -- his friend and political idol is Tony Blair (true -- they went to University together)

5.

The Federal Government's peak criminology authority, the Australian Institute of Criminology, believed criminals were the group least likely to be affected by further firearm restrictions.

And they get the "John Cleese Award for Stating the Bleeding Obvious"! :banghead:

Bruce