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.
Close . But no cigar.
In my opinion the real political target here is the liberal party. Not one nation. Not even the shooters. Both liberal and labour rely on preference votes now, more than ever before. The NSW election result reinforces that point. This is a labour / getup initiated setup smear campaign to back the liberals into a corner so that it becomes politically unpalatable for them to do a preference deal with PHON.
In the meantime, the Labour Party will be free to close out a preference deal with the greens and other left wing groups. Cheered on by all their labour mates in the media, the libs get kicked in the guts as the bs scare campaign over the ‘gun’ bogey ramped up. After all – they introduced the NFA and labour can make the libs live up to that standard for the rest of eternity (“…I never liked that Howard bugger, but gee he did the right thing on guns…! Where have I heard that one before?) Clever political tactics…I hand it labour on that one.
Ultimately, This is Howard’s REAL legacy – the permanent political fracturing and destruction of a once loyal constituency. Sad.
it is long overdue time that we are once again free of all govt interference. Sadly i think there is only one way we will get back to that
Such a cynic! With a bland title to the story “How to sell a massacre”, its like you don’t believe it was going to be fair and balanced. Shame on you Sir! (heavy sarcasm).
The anti gun rhetoric coming from the ABC, The Panel and then the rest of the channels to weigh in and sound relevant – is at an all time high. I have raised with the shooting organisations, if all the media profiles on shooting are negative – then why do we even talk to media organisations. I believe it better that a polite “No thanks – due to your track record on reporting” be the standard reply from now on.
Living rurally, I used to rely on ABC for my media content, but the last 5 – 10 years has shown a dramatic increase in pushing left wing agenda, anti firearms, anti white male and pro LGBTI (and all the other letters they are laying claim to), pro refugee, pro hard line feminist.
I don’t like or dislike Donald Trump, but as thousands of outraged Americans chanted “Not My President”. As an Australian this is even more true and yet the ABC level of Trump reporting is massive – yet its The Australian Broadcaster. A lot of Democrat, left wing extreme (but of course its all right to be left wing extreme – just don’t move right of the centreline) editors and managers have made their way into Australian Media and hire like minded people to push their agenda.
Even ABC Media Watch and Fact Check – which used to call out there own reporting – has now become remarkably quiet on ABC bias.
My two cents.
Aussie Shooter.
Close, but no cigar
In my opinion the real political target here is the liberal party. Not one nation. Not even the shooters. Both liberal and labour rely on preference votes now, more than ever before. The NSW election result reinforces that point. This is a labour / getup initiated setup smear campaign to back the liberals into a corner so that it becomes politically unpalatable for them to do a preference deal with PHON.
In the meantime, the Labour Party will be free to close out a preference deal with the greens and other left wing groups. Cheered on by all their labour mates in the media, the libs get kicked in the guts as the bs scare campaign over the ‘gun’ bogey ramped up. After all – they introduced the NFA and labour can make the libs live up to that standard for the rest of eternity (“…I never liked that Howard bugger, but gee he did the right thing on guns…! Where have I heard that one before?) Clever political tactics…I hand it labour on that one.
Ultimately, This is Howard’s REAL legacy – the permanent political fracturing and destruction of a once loyal constituency. Sad.
IMV the anti’s have made a monumental error targeting PaulineHansonOneNation the way they have with these undercover recordings etc. Hanson and ON policy has been mostly pretty muted on the topic of the PAM, apart from this.
People are naïve in some ways and less so in other ways. Potential ON supporters would appreciate that there could well be a distinct limit to how far a party or politician can go in criticising the official line on the PAM. Exposing prominent ON pollies’ true opinions only confirms that there’s something suspicious about the PAM.
Mark Latham. An anti who was able to run on the ON ticket, which tells you something about the political landscape in Australia. His views on guns are mainstream enough to not alienate voters who were interested in ON but perhaps a bit put off by what pro-gun messages that have come from that party. With these new revelations, and the hysterical persecution from the media, ON no longer needs to be constantly looking over its shoulder at this because the more they persecute ON the better they look. What’s Latham going to do, resign from the party already? They need him and he needs them. Even if Pauline apologizes for saying the PAM was a conspiracy, she’ll retain most of these undecided voters while widening the Overton Window on the PAM. The election of Mark Latham demonstrates a certain ability for ON to go mainstream, and if it worked in NSW, it could work on the national level.
BTW it was also nice that they were criticising 9/11 as well.
I heard Scott Morrison on the radio today doing exactly what you’d expect and attacking PHON. I try to be analytical and not get into impressions, but the way he said “these gun laws” (post-1996) struck me as really weird. It’s as though he knew they were completely invalid and that it was only a matter of time before those responsible for their creation would be punished. Crazy, I know.
ASIO trolls talking out of their arses over on Enough Gun again:
Bruiser 64 wrote-
“The issue of course is that Howard didn’t change the State’s and Territory’s firearms laws. The parliaments of each state and territory did. He encouraged the creation of the National Firearms Agreement so that each jurisdictions laws were consistent with each other within agreed parameters. How can the Commonwealth call a Royal Commission into an event that was outside the Commonwealths jurisdiction? Martin Bryant’s crimes were in Tasmania’s jurisdiction. ”
What about when foreign nationals are killed, such as the Singaporeans who were shot dead?
Also, there were ASIO and interstate personnel there and this could well make it a Federal matter.
Plus, there’s a difference between a coronial inquest and a coronial inquiry. Sure, they had a pissy little inquiry, but NOT a coronial inquest. A coronial inquiry is mandatory if foreign nationals die in a crime or accident.
@ Dean- What you’re saying about the preferences makes perfect sense. Today Bill Shorten was pleading to the Coalition to put ON dead last on their preference list-very noble of him.
However, I maintain that this stunt will have unintended consequences for gun control forces.
Pauline Hanson has said that the conversations about the PAM as well as 9/11 presumably, have been taken out of context. I’m keen to find out what this context is, but they were all a bit drunk and apparently thought no-one was listening. That is, they were speaking their minds.
They may not have wanted everyone to know what they really think, but now they do, it’s no biggie.
All they need to do is say the right words, go through the motions. Those who prefer to believe Pauline really thinks Martin Bryant was solely responsible can still vote for ON, and those who understand that the PAM was a stitch up now see that a good chunk of the senior leadership of ON is heavily sympathetic to their viewpoint. This is more than can be said for the SFFP leadership or even the LDP and may result in some of their voters
voting for ON.
Why settle for a party that only talks about how all shooters have been punished for the actions of one lunatic when you have a broadly comparable party that at least has the potential to go a lot further?
Those who were not going to vote for ON dislike that party even more but their votes only count the same, neither more nor less.
Note, too, that the majors and Greens are sure to have far more funding skeletons in their closet than ON, and people in glass houses etc. How long can they afford to attack on this front?