02/02/2025
From another post but worth re-posting. Take a moment to read this if you live in WA.
So say, example only, I'm farming & I have the current maximum 10 fi****ms for farming (Sadly I don't but stick with me).
Say I get out of farming, my daughter takes over the farm & I make fi****ms over to her, she having no fi****ms licence the applies & pays nearly $750 to get her Primary Producers licence
Plus $25 per firearm serviceability certificate
Plus $25 Fi****ms Safety Course.
If I had the maximum 10 fi****ms my gun safe now exceeds current specs but fails new specs but maybe remains OK with Grandfathering.
But with her new licence that old safe goes on the tip. She'd have to buy a safe that's easily 200-300kg costing around $2500-3000.
Double dwell on that...So I get out of farming, she takes over, the old gunsafe is compliant & safe until the very second I get out of farming, she has to upgrade because with my exit its non compliant & SUDDENLY a threat to public safety.
All up she's spent $3425 to $3925.00
Oh...then she has to install alarm & cameras
Now should she ever decide to get into competition shooting, that's an additional licence, additional serviceability certificate & not sure, possibly an additional safe & all that IF there's no Gun Shop storage until all is granted, passed & compliant.
Thats a minimum $50/month at worst $50/gun/month. Should only be one month cost so between $50 & $500. (And that’s actually the bit I think is fair all things considered)
Now these fees & extra over the top regulations don't apply to criminals. That is a bit of a wee problem.
There is no evidential research to say these measures are well tested, known & demonstrated to increase security, lower gun crime & increase public safety.
None
It's very clear they were invented ad hoc with ABSOLUTELY NO STAKEHOLDER INVOLVEMENT AT ALL.
NONE
NONE WHATSOEVER.
Now I'd prefer that whoever wrote all that down, whoever concocted these limits & rules were to put their name at the bottom & forward all evidential research & show how all relevant stakeholders were involved & the majority agreed upon the measures.
Now I'd prefer that but the chances of a paper dog chasing an asbestos cat through hell are better than any accountability in the making of the Act or the regulations let alone foundational data to support the changes.
Now if anyone was to get into competition shooting for the first time, they are going to spend more on security (that provides no lesser chance of theft) than the actual firearm will ever be worth. It will become a very wealthy man's domain. We have a lot of pensioner's that are in local clubs, lucky they got in when they did...they'd have to turn to lawn bowls were they starting out.
Meanwhile, if you get your first ever firearm & licence in the Northern Territory, it's going to cost you under $300 ($265 I think, maybe $285)
Thats application fee & the licence should it be granted.
Not a lot different to WA in past years, few dollars, $10-20 difference...no big deal.
Except that granted licence was for TEN YEARS NOT ONE.
We were 10 times more expensive BEFORE these changes. Somehow when you cross that invisible line on the highway it’s like travelling to a different dimension
But still, after all that, below are two things that matter & need our strongest focus on…
1)The election - vote Labor out
If people aren’t across fi****ms explain that 492 sections in the Act, less than 3% of the Act was debated before it was bulldozed through.
Like many other Bills, Labor with the numbers denied the Bill passage to the Upper House's Legislation Committee. That alone should compel people to
2) The election Pt 2 - Government is formed in the Lower House or "The Legislative Assembly"
It has 59 seats but you need win 30 plus one seat that will be taken up by the role of Speaker of the House to keep the majority.
When you say "Vote Nationals not Liberals"...Nationals currently have 17 candidates NOT 31.
So that slogan helps the Labor Party. Let’s repeat, that slogan helps LABOR GET RE-ELECTED
There are likely 3 & only 3 parties that will get candidates elected in the Lower House.
Labor. Liberal. Nationals.
Those 3 parties will make up 2 two opposing sides.
A Labor Government or a Liberal/National Government.
There will not be a Nationals Government, it is completely and utterly IMPOSSIBLE.
It’s unlikely there will be a Liberal only government but you know what, we are currently in uncharted election territory. The massive build in swing against Labor can continue & unlikely long odds to happen, but you could see a Liberal only Government.
SO WE NEED BOTH LIBERAL & NATIONALS TO DO WELL. IF YOU ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO “PUT LIBERALS LAST WITH LABOR”(and enough people do that) YOU WILL HAVE ANOTHER 4 YEARS OF LABOR.
If you're going to bag a party, bag Labor.
If you're going to promote a party in the Lower House, promote Liberals AND Nationals (Both have committed to fixing the Act. Lord help us if you bag Liberals so much they don't trust law abiding shooters)
If you want to promote a party in the Upper House promote Liberals or Nationals or SFFP or PHON or the group of Independents that are pro fair fi****ms laws.
OR ALL OF THE ABOVE IF YOU WANT. THATS GOOD TOO.
Also encourage people to control their preferences below the line or above the line mark the pro fair fi****ms parties AND NOT LABOR.
Any election has so many moving parts they probably rarely all get counted, this one has more again.
The Upper House now has a new voting plan.
Then there's the massive artificial swing to Labor last time with the McGowan/COVID/State Daddy effect, that's gone.
There’s guessing game on swings all over the place
Plus a lot of Labor's more senior Labor MPs have left or not recontesting. Gone already & McGowan & Wyatt.
Not recontesting are David Templeman, Sue Ellery, Darren West, John Quigley, Jessica Shaw, Bill Johnston, Lisa Baker, Matthew Hughes, Simon Millman, Margaret Quirk, Chris Tallentire and Peter Tinley.
That was as of June 2024...there maybe more.
So please for goodness sake Bag Labor, Promote Liberals AND Nationals & the Good Independents. Unless you're a Labor Party Govtroll then you'll stand out and we’ll see you.
