On behalf of all law abiding Tasmanian firearm owners I would like to point out that the recent notices received by law abiding firearms owners regarding the new proposal for ammunition and component storage, due to come into force in December 2017, will do nothing to reduce crime. All it will do is unfairly place further costly restrictions on law abiding firearm owners with no positive outcome.
This further restrictive regulation will result in many lawful firearm owners bearing an unacceptably high personal cost, many of whom are pensioners. No tangible benefit will ensue with only an emotive, “feel good exercise” being undertaken. This does not constitute sound decision making.
There is simply no compelling reason and certainly no supporting evidence to justify this change in storage requirements.
Why impose additional storage requirements for owners of 10 or more firearms? Is this an admission on your part that the department and the firearms registry has been compromised? What are your real motives in relation to these overly onerous regulations? An alarm triggered in a home will not result in the criminals being caught on site. You minister, have been responsible for reducing police services on the ground and there is no way the police will respond in time, or at all for that matter, to an activated alarm.
Why you and your government so paranoid when compared to the many countries around the world which have fewer firearms restrictions than here and yet have less crime? There is simply no justification to place further restrictions on law abiding citizens.
If burglary is so prevalent across this state is this not more a reflection of inadequate police resources, relevant laws and appropriate sentencing? Surely it is well past time to introduce legislation to ensure that the theft of a firearm and/or its components is made an indictable criminal offence and not simply property theft. Would it not also make plain sense to raise the punishment and minimum sentencing as a logical step?
Again we ask, will these proposed draconian requirements actually deliver any real tangible benefit? I put to you that they will not. What is urgently required are tougher penalties for firearm theft and crimes committed with a firearm, not the continual tightening of regulatory requirements which appear as an attack on law abiding firearm owners who are among the most closely scrutinized and “police checked” members of our community. They also happen to be voters with long memories.
We, along with all law abiding citizens, await your decision to amend such unreasonable imposts.
Adrian Pickin Press Liaison Officer Shooters & Fishers Party, Tas.
