Another day in Queensland:
Queensland Police Minister Mark Ryan has attacked Deputy Opposition Leader Tim Mander after a video surfaced of the then LNP police spokesman saying he was “open” to weaker gun laws.
Mr Ryan on Tuesday took a swipe at Mr Mander over the March 2017 video, which shows Mr Mander discussing weaker gun laws with the Shooters Union of Australia.
In the video Mr Mander is asked whether he would support licensed owners having access to semi-automatic rifles for sports or hunting. The guns were banned by the Howard government following the 1996 Port Arthur massacre, in which 35 people were killed and 23 wounded.
Mr Mander replied he would like to see “less regulation” as long as there is no risk to safety.
“If a case can be given to me that shows that there’s a good rationale for that, and there’s no increase in safety risks or some other risk to the community, I’m very open-minded about those type of things,” he said.
Mr Mander added that he was not fully across the issue, which could help ensure an unbiased debate. “Probably one of the advantages of me not having a lot of background in this is I’m an open canvas,” he said. Mr Ryan called on the opposition to clarify its policies on gun ownership.
“Queensland families and Queensland police would be very worried that the LNP are ready to weaken Queensland’s gun laws,” Mr Ryan said. However, Mr Mander dismissed Mr Ryan’s concerns as “absolute rubbish”, saying the LNP “do not support any weakening of John Howard’s tough gun laws”.
“We don’t support US style gun laws full stop… community safety must always come first,” he said in a statement to AAP. “We support farmers having access to firearms as an important tool of trade, we support stronger penalties for gun crime and more resources for police.”
The Labor government and LNP agreed late last year to strengthen regulations that would limit access to the Adler lever-action shotgun.
So, in other words Judas, Police Minister Mark Ryan, used a nearly year old video in a feeble attempt to point score. Queensland’s favourite communist, Jackie Trad, also chimed in on her Facebook page. It’s really not worth the calories looking at it, so we did it for you.
All being said – why? Have Labor really got nothing else to do since barely holding on to power at the election in December?
We’d like Mark Ryan to clarify his position on gun ownership, being a patron of a pistol club but continually selling out his fellow LAFO’s at every turn.
This notion of “US style gun laws” is another throwaway line often inserted in any discussion by those wishing to restrict freedoms and derail debate. As usual, there is no definition about what laws they are pertaining to at the federal, state and county level in the US and the incredible variance thereof. Comparing Australia’s laws to Arizona’s laws or California’s laws are completely different ball games, but that’s expecting far too much from the LNP.
If it wasn’t clear from the article, the video was pure lip service from the LNP. We all remember their treachery over the Adler and their acquiescence over Labor’s continued gun grab of Queensland farmers.
We also remember the LNP’s comments in the Gold Coast Bulletin just over a week ago, when they claimed that there was a correlative relationship between legal firearm ownership and an increase in crime on the Gold Coast. Pity there was an entire federal Senate inquiry devoted to refuting that.
This pathetic stunt by Labor just goes to show how the majors are increasingly irrelevant – which saw the Queensland election record the lowest ever primary vote ever for the two major parties since 1907. It’s also because they are really feeling the heat and the backlash from the Queensland’s LAFO community, particularly from the agricultural sector, Robbie Katter and the ongoing Category H debacle.
SA, Vic and TAS are all up for their turn this year – it’s best we continue the trend of #putthemajorslast
And if you’re a firearm owner and still voting for Labor, the LNP or Greens then you might want to consider putting yourself off the electoral roll.
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