It seems only 10 people turning up to your Friday afternoon protest has really got to Sam Lee who has had a meltdown in the Guardian, calling for the Federal Government to “seize control” over the states on firearms:
“Gun control advocates have called for federal intervention – and even a referendum – after commissioning a damning report that shows states and territories have trashed the historic 1996 national firearms agreement.
The agreement, which led to the surrender and destruction of more than 1.1m firearms, was signed by all states and territories after the Port Arthur massacre, and after threats by then-prime minister John Howard to hold a constitutional referendum on the issue. The report by Gun Control Australia (GCA) found more than 50 breaches of the code by states and territories. Each jurisdiction had walked away in some way, the report found.
GCA is now calling for a referendum to make gun control laws a federal responsibility and to prevent the “wreckage” of the 1996 agreement. The organisation’s chair, Sam Lee, said the referendum was needed after “years of political pressure” by the gun lobby.
“The national firearms agreement is haemorrhaging because the states and territories are legislating it away in return for gun lobby votes and funding,” Lee said.
Last week, former deputy prime minister Tim Fischer told Guardian Australia he was “deeply concerned” about the emergence of an NRA-style gun lobby in Australia. His comments came after it was revealed the home affairs minister, Peter Dutton, was considering establishing a committee to allow gun importers to review proposed changes to firearms regulations for “appropriateness and intent”.
Lee said the election-eve revelations in Tasmania that the Liberal government had plans to further water down gun laws in the state where the Port Arthur massacre occurred, were “a further nail in the coffin” of the 1996 agreement.
Sam needs a straitjacket – there really is no other way to describe this unhinged rant.
Again the lie about the Tasmanian proposals being made public on the eve of the election is pushed by the Guardian. We know this is incorrect:
Based Leyonhjelm also made his thoughts known about the issue on ABC News yesterday:
Sam wanting the federal government to override the constitution is rhetoric right out of the Communist Manifesto, or more recently right out of the African National Congress.
It’s a non-legally binding agreement and the states do not have to comply with it. Get over it.
This was even brought up at the 2015 Senate Inquiry which Gun Control Australia gave evidence at:
A nation that just spent $120 million and months of political back and forth on a plebiscite is not going to have a national referendum on firearms, particularly when more pressing issues such as immigration, the banking royal commission and energy prices are at the forefront of the national conscience.
No doubt there will be more of this hyperbolic rubbish form the anti-gun crowd in the lead up to the proposed inquiry but one thing is for certain: desperation has sunk in at Gun Control Australia.
I’ll drink to that.
Waste of time and money ! Law abiding lisenced people have the right to own and use guns !!!!
Their are way more important issues than gun control like homeless,gas & electricity prices and no matter what restrictions are put on licences firearm owners criminals are always one step ahead.