SSAA is disappointed in the resignation of Senator Bridget McKenzie from the Government Cabinet and on behalf of all its near 200,000 members thanks her for her energetic support of the shooting sports and our Association.
Both before and after becoming a minister, Senator McKenzie was a driving force behind the Parliamentary Friends of Shooting, spoke out about poor firearms legislation that did nothing to improve public safety and openly demonstrated her enjoyment of the shooting sports and hunting. While as Sports Minister the Senator championed our top shooters and commissioned the Economic and social impacts of recreational hunting and shooting report that found shooting contributed almost two-and-a-half billion dollars to the economy annually as well as providing health and social benefits to the participants.
Much of the media and anti-firearm fraternity has tried to bully and belittle her over her involvement in shooting, demonstrating their biases and discrimination towards almost one million Australian licensed firearms owners. Some of the media commentary has bordered on the misogynistic and illegal and we will be making complaints to the appropriate media governing bodies.
Attempts have also been made to tie in SSAA and our Victorian branch with Federal funding where SSAA National and Victoria have not applied or received any grants from the Commonwealth.
We wish Senator McKenzie well in her parliamentary career and have no doubt she will continue to be one of its hardest working and most dedicated members.
As an Association we remind all politicians, the media and the community at large that we will continue to support those who support us and speak out against those that don’t.