Katter: We should have the right to bear arms
Atherton Tablelander, Page: 13. Tuesday, 9 June, 2009
Australians should have the right to bear arms, Federal Member for Kennedy Bob Katter told shooters at a Far North competition at Ravenshoe recently.
He said good fences made good neighbours and we were in no position to pick a fight.
“You’ve heard of speak softly but carry a big stick well Australia’s got a big loud mouth and no stick,” Mr Katter said.
Mr Katter was in Ravenshoe to open a new state-of-the-art rifle range. He thanked 67 sporting shooters from as far away as Bowen and Charters Towers for doing their bit to keep Australia safe. “Human history says one day we’ll face a test at least you people will know you’ve made an effort,” he said.
Mr Katter said that in 1963, with Australia on the brink of war with Indonesia, it had around 250,000 SLR rifles and around one million semi automatic weapons to defend itself - weapons which farmers also used to cull destructive feral pigs.
“Now we’ve got 40-year-old aeroplanes, six frigates and 50,000 sub-standard combat weapons that’s all to defend Australia,” Mr Katter said. “I hope you’re all good at throwing rocks.” Mr Katter said any country that was distrusting of its people but trustful of its neighbours was not travelling well.
Mr Katter, 64, still has an air rifle he earned for his eighth birthday, by cleaning the windows of his parents’ Cloncurry clothes shop.
Ravenshoe and District Sporting Shooters’ Association president Anne Meerkotter said the club’s new centrefire metallic silhouette targets and lights, bought with a State Government sport and recreation grant, were “pretty sophisticated”.
Mr Katter said it was satisfying to shoot at the new targets from l00m and watch them go down.
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