Minister supports voucher
Warracknabeal Herald, Page 18. Friday, 13 November 2009
Home Affairs Minister Brendan O’Connor applauded the Sporting Shooters’ Association of Australia for promoting responsible firearms ownership to its 130,000-strong membership.
The association, together with leaders of the firearms industry, has allocated up to $13 million in gun safe discounts through this year’s SSAA’s Gun Sale Voucher Program.
Members receive vouchers worth $25, $50 or $100, depending on the type of police-approved firearms safe they invest in.
Minister O’Connor said that it was encouraging to see the organisation taking a proactive approach to firearms security and working with the firearms industry to make the opportunity available to members.
"Initiatives that promote safe and responsible firearms ownership should be applauded,’ Mr O’Connor said "The SSAA Gun Safe Voucher Program continues the strong history of the SSAA in educating its membership about responsible firearms practices," he said.
SSAA National spokesperson Tim Bannister said the program will assist members in updating their firearm security, as well as providing the opportunity for new members to comply with their state or territory law.
However, police resources must always be spent on the criminal element of society and not be wasted on those who go to lengths to comply with firearm regulations and the law," Mr Bannister said.
"Licensed firearm owners have undergone police clearance and spend their time and money to abide by the law in their chosen recreation’, he said.
As an association, we have made the decision to he proactive in firearm security and in turn would like to see police resources allocated wisely, that is, in clamping down on the criminal element of society that have no respect for the law or community safety".
The Australian Institute of Criminology reported almost all homicide by firearm is committed by an unlicensed person with an unregistered firearm.
Clearly, this is where police resources should he spent,’ Mr Bannister said.
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