The Sporting Shooters’ Association of Australia (SSAA National) Inc today questioned claims recently put forward by Professor Kate Warner concerning the effectiveness of anti-gun laws in reducing crime in Tasmania.
SSAA National Executive Director Keith Tidswell said that in order for Professor Warner’s conclusions to be valid, they must be consistent across a range of settings. Mr Tidswell contended that Professor Warner’s hypothesis failed to explain the increase in firearm-related offences in other Australian states in the wake of changes to gun laws. For example, Victoria’s homicide rate involving firearms had risen by nearly 300 per cent between 1996 and 1997.