29/09/2020
Thanks to Firearm Owners United for this insightful update. The ACT is well overdue for change and the smaller parties are EXACTLY how to bring it. The majors are out of touch, too comfortable with their own rhetoric and really don’t represent the community on the whole.
Remember, you’re not going to agree with everything or everyone, but YOU can make a difference - who you vote 1 for and where you preference (e.g. where you number your subsequent votes).
Your future is in your hands!
Cheers
Prez ✌🏽
As most Canberrans are aware, voting for the local 2020 election began yesterday and will continue until 17 October due to Covid-19 restrictions and social distancing.
To assist ACT firearm owners in making their choices when voting, we asked all parties that we could contact a few short questions to establish their stance on firearm ownership and whether or not they could support firearm ownership and use if elected. We only heard back from Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party ACT, Belco Party, Federation Party Australian Capital Territory, and ACT Greens.
From those replies, previous dealings and experience, and research, we offer the following information.
Shooters Fishers and Farmers Party responded that they would support all of the proposals that we had put forward. This means supporting the removal of mandatory wait times on PTA’s, expanding eligibility on lawful ownership of suppressors in the ACT, including recreational hunting in the toolbox for the reduction of feral animals in local National Parks, and at least opening a conversation on the topic of non lethal defensive tools.
The Belco party responded that they were also open to the idea of eliminating mandatory waiting times on PTA’s. They admitted that they did not know enough about suppressors to say either way but would seek further advice from both FOU and Police as well as other experts if elected, and viewed non lethal defensive tools with the same stance. At least this means that with supporting evidence, they could potentially support legislation that would see our proposals move forward. On the topic of recreational hunting, the Belco Party have advised that they would be happy to support a system the same as the NSW R License program to reduce legislative overlap between states.
The Australian Federation Party have replied stating that they are sympathetic to lawful firearm owners and would seek to bring the ACT more into line with NSW, though that can be open to problems too.
The Greens actually responded to us as well. This is their actual response:
Thank you for contacting the ACT Greens. Our party is representative of our community and, as such, our membership includes people who are responsible firearm owners. The Greens acknowledge the significant ecological impacts that the increasing numbers and species of pest animals has on our ecosystems. However, our policies do not support the use of recreational hunting as a method of pest animal control. We believe that professional contractors operating under a strategic framework is the most effective and safest way to deal with pest animals. The ACT Greens are supportive of the current licensing and regulation regimes that govern responsible firearm ownership in the ACT and believe they achieve the appropriate balance of keeping the community safe, whilst allowing appropriately regulated firearm ownership. We are also supportive of the current policing approaches and legal frameworks regarding illicit and non lethal weapons. The ACT Greens are an evidence driven party. If we consider legislative change we will rely on the best available evidence and consult widely with the community.
It's hard to take this response seriously when ACT Greens leader has openly voiced his “alarm” at people legally owning so called stockpiles of guns, ore the “arsenal” of 66 guns owned by an individual.
We have not heard back from any other parties or independents at the time of this post, so the following is based on research and previous dealings and experience.
Liberal Democrats ACT are known to be supportive of reduced bureaucratic process and the elimination of ineffective and pointless legislation. Were they to win seats they could be a positive force in the interest of shooters in Canberra.
Labor candidate for Brindabella Taimus Werner-Gibbings has worked closely with Andrew Leigh MP, one of the founders of the Parliamentary friends of gun control. While there is no guarantee that this would influence his decisions at a local level, it is unlikely that it wouldn’t.
Mick Gentleman MLA is the current Police minister and is running for Labor in Brindabella and has been involved in a number of legislative changes that have not been in the interest of lawful firearm owners, including “leading the way” with the utterly stupid Adler debacle.
Giulia Jones MLA is the Shadow Police minister running for the ACT Liberals in Murrumbidgee and has been very helpful in getting responses out of Mick Gentleman’s office when we have written and received nothing beyond an automated reply for two months. While the Liberals are still tainted by John Howards legacy in the eyes of shooter in Australia, they do stand the best chance at changing government in Canberra and are more likely to be open to consultation on matters concerning fi****ms.
With all of this in mind, we do still recommend that ACT voters put firearm friendly parties first, the Greens last, and read the policies of everyone else in between to make up your own mind.
