Media monitoring

Lax laws threat to public safety

Herald Sun, Page: 9 Monday, 9 January 2012

The latest gun ownership and licensing figures are alarming and pose a threat to public safety, a leading anti-firearms group says.
Chairwoman of the National Coalition for Gun Control Sam Lee said more guns led to more crime and more grief that could be prevented.
"Owning one firearm is meant to be a privilege, but owning two is meant to be limited to only those who can prove they have a legitimate special need to have more than one firearm," she said.
"Victorian firearms laws have made it way too easy to gain a second or subsequent firearm." Ms Lee said the organisation believed illegal guns started out as legal guns.
Gun Control Australia president John Crook said it was up to police to ensure legal firearms did not end up in the wrong hands.
"The law allows, whether it is right or wrong, people to buy almost as many guns as they want," he said.
Mr Crook said people needed more rigorous testing and training before getting a gun licence. He said he was concerned about safe storage of legal firearms.
But Sporting Shooters of Australia Victorian branch chief Don Piccoli said the licensing system was, in fact, rigorous.
"We are spending a lot of money and resources in monitoring the most law-abiding group in society," he said.
"I don’t have a problem with licensed responsible adults who store their firearms in accordance with the law having a large number of firearms."

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