SSAA Wodonga letter to National Party Taskforce
26 August 1997
Preamble to the representation of shooters views to Mr D. Kilgour on 26 August 1997 at Stanley Street, Wodonga.
As written by A.W. Boddy, Firearms Safety Instructor and Range Captain
SSAA Wodonga Branch, PO Box 501, Wodonga
We represent the Wodonga branch of the Sporting Shooters Association of Australia, our branch membership is well over seven hundred members and the views expressed here are those of 98% of the members. We feel that the so called "Uniform National Gun Laws" are not only restrictive, repressive, and dictatorial but an absolutely unwarranted attach on the shooting sports. The shooters of Australia have committed no crime but have been accused, sentenced and convicted of murder by this government by its very action of gun confiscation. We find the governments actions offensive and discriminatory. The governments attitude of "Guilty before any crime is committed" is unacceptable.
These may be hard words but when one is faced with, in the governments own words, "Severe Penalties" and "Gaol Sentences" for non compliance with the new laws there is no other way to interpret the new control measures. The severe penalties can amount to, according to our reading of government information, fines of up to $64,000 and 15 year gaol sentences. From our position we see only threats and intimidation particularly when we have committed no crime other than that of being shooters and wish to retain the firearms that we have used lawfully for our sport in this country for many years.
Researchers all around the world have found that gun registration and harsh gun laws are totally ineffective. Why were those facts ignored and why were the representations of the shooting organisations of Australia completely ignored when the new laws were forced onto them.
The SSAA has since it's inception advocated firearm safety training and licensing of shooters with a national register of unsuitable persons. If the government had enlisted the aid of the shooting organisations the new gun laws would have been formulated with common sense and fairness.
The shooting organisations, we are sure, would have been only too happy to take on firearms safety testing and even the licensing of shooters. The cost of such a program would then be transferred to the shooters, the Police would gain much more time for more urgent matters and above all we could have every shooter in Australia fully trained to the same level in firearms safety.
We also find it offensive that millions of dollars has been spent on a gun buyback and the introduction of repressive laws when so much more could have been done with that money had it been spent on our failing health services.
The shooters are extremely unhappy with that which has been done to them with the new gun laws and we have been asked to advise you that shooters are also voters.
PO BOX 501,
WODONGA 3690
26 August 1997
Dear Mr Kilgour,
On behalf of the Members of the Sporting Shooters Association of Australia and shooters in general, would like to thank-you for your time at the interview today and we would like you thank Mr Baxter for his time and the use of his office.
Would you be so kind as to pass on our thanks also to Mr Bill McGrath for his initiation of this avenue of communication.
Please note that in fairness to the members of our organisation we are placing all the information given to you at this morning's meeting on the Internet.
Tony Boddy
FIREARMS SAFETY OFFICER
RANGE CAPTAIN
Home > Research archive > 1997 > SSAA Wodonga letter to National Party Taskforce