Saturday, March 8 is the 2025 Western Australian state election, an extremely important one for shooters in the west. The WA Labor party has passed draconian gun laws that’ll restrict and reduce firearm ownership in that state. Changes to the regulations will make it much more expensive to enter the shooting sports, carry out ethical hunting and participate in vermin control across the state. Recreational shooting has been removed as a genuine reason to own a firearm in WA.
Firearm owners are being forced to buy new gun cabinets and historical collections of firearms are being lost without reason. SSAA (WA) has been fighting these laws for years and is now urging Association members and the WA shooting community to secure their future when they vote on March 8.
We can’t afford to vote for the Labor Party or the Greens. The only way to make politicians listen is to vote them out. Most politicians care about two things – money and votes – and the only reason they care about money is because it helps them secure votes. We need to elevate candidates who’ve demonstrated their support for sensible and workable gun laws and punish the appalling behaviour of the Labor politicians who’ve abandoned us.
After registering your vote, the most valuable thing you can do is give your time. Elections are won with horsepower and commitment and, if we stand a chance of reversing these laws, we need everyone to step forward and help. SSAA (WA) needs you to become involved at the State Election and is calling for all members to spend a few hours on a polling booth or help with early polling. Did you know that statistically up to 10 per cent of voters only decide who to vote for as they walk into the polling booth, so standing on a booth can have a huge influence.
We need firearm-friendly parties like The Nationals WA, Shooters, Farmers & Fishers, Australian Christians, One Nation and Liberals WA to gain representation in State Parliament. Visit their websites for information on how you can help.
- The humble air rifle isn’t so humble any more! The rifle many of us learned to shoot with has really come of age during the past few years. The classic break-action is still around but there’s been tremendous development and innovation in recent times. Just check some of the YouTube videos out there and you’ll be amazed by the rapid changes and practical uses air rifles are being put to. This issue we’ve turned the spotlight on air rifles so you can see the variety on offer and, from trainers to target rifles, there’s lots to see.