The Sporting Shooters Association of Australia Inc. said today that the latest report from the Australian Institute of Criminology’s National Homicide Monitoring Program showed that the Federal government’s proposed buy-back of registered sporting handguns would have little impact on firearm-related murders.
SSAA spokesperson Mr Gary Fleetwood, said that the AIC report highlighted the fact that the overwhelming majority of firearm-related homicides were committed by unlicensed offenders using unregistered guns. “When more than 89% of offenders are unlicensed and more than 91% of firearms used in homicides are unregistered, you really have to question the wisdom of a buy-back directed exclusively at law-abiding gun owners.” Mr Fleetwood said.
Mr Fleetwood said that despite the Prime Minister’s assurances that sporting shooter’s activities at the international level would not be “compromised”, the up-coming handgun buy-back program would see Australians stripped of any chance of winning several major international championships. “I attended the International Practical Shooting Confederation National Titles on the weekend and if the government pushes ahead with some of the restrictions it has proposed, over half of the competitors present will no longer be able to represent Australia overseas in their particular division. When the government’s own statistics indicate that a buy-back of registered sporting handguns is likely to be an expensive waste of taxpayers money you can understand why shooters are angry.”