I’ve been in the job a few weeks now and it’s been a steep learning curve. The SSAA is a more complex organization than it appears from the outside and I’ve been impressed by how much it’s able to accomplish with the resources to hand. The staff are committed and hardworking and the members enthusiastic and supportive. The publications department produces an impressive variety of printed and online material and on top of this, the National office provides support to the various state and territory branches and is often the first point of contact for many members.
My background is in politics. I was a member of the South Australian Parliament for 12 years, serving as a backbencher, committee chair, minister and government whip. Since then I’ve worked in the private sector, helping to commercialise university research and most recently with a cyber security firm.
I’ve been shooting most of my life, starting about age 10 when a friend of my father’s lent us an air rifle, back in the days when no-one blinked an eye at that. I spent hours happily shooting at the target symbol on an oil can, which stood me in good stead as I moved to more powerful guns and larger targets like rabbits, pigs and goats. I got my handgun licence about 12 years ago and continue to plink away, though I’ll never be a great shot with a pistol as I don’t have the patience.
I’ve enjoyed this sport for a long time and taught my children how to shoot so they can take it up if they want, though I’m worried about the direction governments are taking with firearms legislation. That’s why I was so interested in this job. It’s disappointing but no surprise to any of us that governments continue to attack the shooting sports, seeing them as an ‘easy target’ as they try to replicate the golden glow of John Howard after the 1996 changes. It’s time that stopped.
We all want firearms legislation which protects the community while allowing us to enjoy our sport and provide for our families, though I’d argue that while there may be some discussions around the edges, as a country we largely have that balance right. But recent changes to firearms laws show us parliaments don’t agree and are looking to crack down further. The Western Australian laws will almost certainly spread throughout the country unless we’re better organised and more vocal.
That means we need to work together. Our state and national operations must collaborate more closely and as members we have to be more politically aware and active. The long and the short of it is politics is a numbers game. As one of my staff said recently: “They (politicians) could go either way, it just depends where the numbers are.” So it’s our job to organise those numbers which means we have a few things to do:
- Encourage more people to take up the shooting sports;
- Encourage more shooters to join the SSAA (only about 25 per cent of Australian shooters are members);
- Become more politically aware and active by contacting your local MP and even consider changing the way you’ve voted for a long time.
It’s clearly going to be more difficult to achieve than it is to write down but now’s as good a time as any to start pushing back. I look forward to working with you all to protect our sport.
- Congratulations to Penny Smith on her bronze medal for Australia in the Women’s Trap at the Paris Olympics.
Tom Kenyon, SSAA CEO