Here we go again.
A torrent of anti-firearm propaganda has swept the country for the umpteenth time, this time alleging One Nation colluded with the NRA to attract donations, which was revealed to be an Al-Jazeera set up:
The first red flag is that the whole thing is partly commissioned by GetUp and Gun Control Australia – two vehemently anti-gun organisations that repeatedly refuse to disclose their own sources of funding and overseas connections. GetUp even had to change it’s structure prior to the foreign donation laws that were brought in late last year.
The NRA does not intervene, as per it’s constitution, in the firearms politics of other countries. Sure, it comments on them but it does not send money overseas – it has limited war chests to fight the plethora of battles domestically. The Australian population has long been gaslighted about the myth of the NRA boogeyman, but that’s a discussion for another time.
The standard hypocrisy applies: the firearm industry and firearm owners dare not lobby for their own interests but GetUp and the rest are allowed to do what it wants.
Why go to all this effort to attempt to smear One Nation, which after all, isn’t really that pro-gun? Particularly as recent comments from NSW MLC-elect Mark Latham illustrate.
Has anyone at the ABC bothered to check One Nation’s firearm policy? Nowhere does it mention scrapping the National Firearms Agreement or re-instating the types of firearms that were confiscated or banned in 1996, and by comparison to that of the Liberal Democrats, is quite milquetoast.
The ABC is basically rehashing an old hit piece they did last year on 4Corners. It’s obvious Gun Control Australia and the civilian disarmament brigade are hoping to capitalise on the Christchurch tragedy to push through further gun control. Sam Lee already called for bans on bolt action rifles just last week.
The question also needs to be asked: why did a state funded broadcaster collude with another state funded broadcaster for three years, to attempt entrapment of One Nation?
Cui bono?
Firstly, this appears to be part of a much larger witch hunt aimed at, what establishment types perceive as “nationalist” and other type groups, which the two-party duopoly are afraid of. Apparently, being a gun owner in Australia = far right nationalist. Completely absurd.
One Nation, at least as far as the Liberals are concerned, appear a threat to the Coalition’s voter base. Given the recent attack on Pauline Hanson on Sunrise, it appears a much larger game is being played.
Dr Samara McPhedran also points out that it’s just as much about politics and not really about the guns. Why wouldn’t it be, when you’re under threat at the federal election and your coalition partner just got smashed at the NSW state election?
The Nationals’ anti-gun scaremongering completely backfired in the NSW election, resulting in huge swings against them and losing two seats in key electorates in Barwon and Murray. It appears the electorate doesn’t give two shits about John Howard and Tim Fischer and the boogeyman of firearms has now worn off.
If the ABC are going to whinge about firearm owners, then a simple investigation into the links between Rebecca Peters, George Soros and Gun Control Australia would uncover a dearth of foreign interference and enough scandalous journalism for an entire year. However, that would require balance and courage and that is something the ABC does not have much of these days.
GetUp and Gun Control Australia doth protest too much.
However, this is really about Labor, Liberal and the Greens attempting to stomp out what they see as the nationalist political threat to their established monopoly, only 6 weeks out from a federal election.
It seems donations from corrupt banks and foreign governments, who are legitimately dragging the country down to ruin, are less important than mythical donations from a small, voluntary American civil rights organisation that would never eventuate in the first place.
As far as the ABC goes, it’s time taxpayers were free from involuntary donations to a government broadcaster that has long since lost the plot.