Lack of self-awareness and Tim Fischer couldn’t be a more perfect match. The man decided to continue his unhealthy fixation with the NRA with this unhinged rant in the Guardian:
“One of the architects of Australia’s strict gun control laws says he is “deeply concerned” about the emergence of what he described as a US-inspired firearms lobby.
Tim Fischer, the former deputy prime minister and leader of the National party who alongside John Howard helped to pass landmark reforms after the 1996 Port Arthur massacre, says he believes a “wave” of firearm lobbying influenced by the US National Rifle Association is putting renewed pressure on Australian gun laws.
Fischer told the Guardian he believed “NRA-inspired” lobbying coupled with the increased influence of rightwing parties such as One Nation in Canberra and the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers party in New South Wales had influenced a “pushback” against Australia’s gun laws, and called on politicians to stand up to pressure.
“Waves of NRA-originated ideology do descend on Australia and have done since 1996,” he said. “I think we are seeing another wave of the NRA’s indirect influence descending on Australia at the federal and state levels [and] that’s deeply concerning to me.”
Fischer’s warning comes in the context of an increasingly well-funded and organised gun lobby with ties to weapons importers and manufacturers.”
Fischer is upset about Peter Dutton’s plan to form a national firearms advisory committee with Rob Nioa after the recent Riverman OAF import fiasco. Forming a panel of experts who actually know about firearms instead of a sea of bureaucrats who do not and who also continually make poor and frankly ridiculous decisions on firearms laws? Gee, what a terrible idea.
As one of the so-called “architects” of the non-legally binding National Firearms Agreement, Fischer had the apparent sense to make it compulsory that non-primary producers be forced to join an association in order to have a firearm, ie the “genuine reason” criterion. What did that do? Concentrate money into some associations to represent their members.
You created the so-called “gun lobby” in this country, Tim. You made your bed, now sleep in it.
However, firearm lobby groups existed well before 1996 anyway, and the only reason you are seeing pro-gun groups in full voice now is because of the repeated attacks on firearm owners in this country, for no reason other than pure authoritarianism.
Further, Fischer’s assertion that the NRA is active in this country is incorrect. The NRA does not involve itself in the domestic affairs of other countries – there’s no money or sponsorship from them. Sure, it comments on Australian gun laws from time to time as they are entitled to do, but that’s about it. Apparently, it’s “outrageous” for them to do that but completely ok for legions of uninformed spivs such as Tim Fischer to wax lyrical about Australian gun laws and America on social media, every time there is some kind of firearm incident anywhere in the world.
Firearm owners were not consulted in 1996 and are being left out of government consultation consistently today. While that tide has started to turn, most recently with the fake outrage over the Will Hodgman government’s proposals, the notion that Fischer implies that firearm owners should just essentially shut up and be dictated to, is absurd. Apparently, the firearm community is the only community that should not be allowed to lobby to protect itself, unlike every other community in Australia.
And for Tim to point the finger at the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party is a joke. The Nationals are clearly on the nose with the electorate and unnecessarily played the fear card re: gun laws at the recent Cootamundra By-Election, in a cheap scare mongering attempt.
Tim, take your $250,000 a year government pension and ride quietly off into the night. It’s just getting embarrassing now.
Love the work you do and the effort you go to to keep the LAFO up to date with what’s really happening,thanks!
Poor Tim, he is starting to encounter grassroots politics, apparently that is only a good thing if he approves of its goals.
People are starting to notice that Police are being issued semi-auto rifles, politicians have armed security, celebrities have armed bodyguards and public servants and media work in armed security protected compounds. yet joe and jane average are not just left out in the cold with the criminals – they are actively prevented from exercising their legal right of self defence and they are starting to organise in support of changing that.
It isn’t a “gun lobby” – it is a citizen lobby, citizens who are sick of being dictated to by hypocritical politicians who are hiding behind their own armed security, that we pay for, so if joe and jane average are safe without the option to buy a firearm for self defence, surely the police can get by with a Glock, the politicians can get by with armed security only at parliament house and celebrities can dispense with armed bodyguards.
Remember Tim, political parties move with social changes or they die, quite possibly your only legacy will be that you set in train the death of the coalition.