“50,000 firearms” handed in during firearm amnesty virtue signal

The 3 month virtue signal exercise aka the National Firearms Amnesty from Justice Minister Michael Keenan came to an end this week.

This statement from the Prime Minister’s Office:

“Australia’s 3 month National Firearms Amnesty has led to more than 50,000 firearms being handed in across Australia. This is an overwhelming response and represents a significant reduction in the number of unregistered firearms in the Australian community.

Australia has some of the strongest gun laws in the world but illicit firearms remain a threat to community safety. As a result of this successful amnesty, there are now 50,000 fewer firearms on the streets.

While the amnesty has now finished, the Justice Minister Michael Keenan is encouraging people who still have an unregistered firearm, or who come into possession of an unregistered firearm, to contact their local police station or firearm registry. The firearms surrendered under the amnesty ranged from historic pre-1900 weapons and guns from both World Wars, to modern semi-automatic firearms, a homemade machine gun and even a rocket launcher.

A number of more unusual items were also handed in. These included a sawn-off shotgun found at a local tip in 1995, a handgun used in the early 1900s for personal protection, a pistol small enough to fit in the palm of a hand, and a heavily modified Russian shotgun.

The Turnbull Government is continuing the Howard legacy of strong gun control laws. We are also seeking to increase penalties for gun traffickers, including with mandatory minimum sentences. But Labor opposes this change. They’ve blocked it in the parliament three times. Labor and Bill Shorten are a soft touch on gun control and would rather have gun smugglers roaming the streets.

This amnesty has succeeded in keeping Australians safe, and confirms the resolute commitment of the Turnbull Government to national security. Contact details for state and territory firearm registries can still be found on the firearms amnesty website.”

All this as Turnbull was using an event that happened in another country to justify more attacks on Australians’ freedoms, through facial recognition and subverting states’ rights and forcing them to hand over drivers’ licence details. The usual from globalist Mal.

What was not made public was the break down of what type of firearms were handed in. The only state to do so was Tasmania Police, which already have a permanent amnesty, although it was merely a Facebook statement:

“Tasmanians have handed in almost 2,000 unregistered and unwanted firearms during the National Firearms Amnesty.

Surrendered firearms consisted of 745 shotguns, 1071 rifles and 108 handguns, including:

• 2 x SKS military-style semi-automatic rifles handed in, one in the north and one in the south.
• .222 calibre rifle handed in anonymously to a North-West firearms dealer and later determined to have been stolen from a man in the North-East in 1995.
• 150-year-old antique Belgian Lefaucheux 9mm pinfire revolver in good condition, along with a tin of original rounds handed in by a woman in Southern Tasmania. The woman said she believed the revolver was used as protection on mail train services. Discussions are underway to donate it to TMAG.
• Norinco NZ75 9mm pistol handed in in the south and listed as being stolen since 1995.”

In other words, none of the serious stuff. Still waiting for those M72LAW’s and the remaining 110 Glocks from Sylvania Waters post office to be handed in.

A whopping 2 SKS’ of the literally hundreds of thousands imported into Australia during the 80’s and 90’s and not handed back? Give yourself a round of applause, Michael Keenan. One also has to take into consideration that the numbers are more than likely massively skewed when you take into account that firearm parts are classified as firearms in some states, as was identified in the Senate Inquiry in 2015.

The numbers are further meaningless when you take a look at the legal firearm import figures for the last few years:

So 300,000+ firearms imported for the last 3 years of data available on top of everything else already in Australia. Furthermore, given the pathetic container inspection rates and lax international mail scan rates it makes you think – what is getting through in the illegal market that they don’t know about? A lot.

Furthermore, what is the breakdown of who exactly handed these in? How many were from deceased estates and how many were from known criminals? I’m sure that data would never be publicly released if it was indeed ever kept.

So this amnesty means what exactly?

It’s a stunt which hasn’t achieved anything except look like real estate agent turned politician Michael Keenan look tough and again give Australians the perpetual false impression our borders are secure, where in actual fact they are wide open.