The Tasmanian Government looks like it has caved to the anti-gun loonies and is announcing an Inquiry into the proposed changes:
“The Tasmanian Government has agreed to open up controversial gun law reform to scrutiny by the state’s Upper House, as pressure is applied to the Prime Minister to stop the proposed changes.
Tasmania’s Police Minister Michael Ferguson has confirmed the State Government will support a Legislative Council inquiry into gun reform, called for this week by the Independent MLC Ivan Dean.
The Liberal policy, revealed earlier this month on the eve of the state election, would allow greater access to category C firearms such as self-loading rifles and pump-action shotguns for farm workers and sporting shooters. Licence holders in category C would also be allowed gun silencers.
“We have made it very clear we will not do anything that puts Tasmanians at risk or is inconsistent with the National Firearms Agreement, and the inquiry will be a chance for everyone concerned to have their say on these proposals,” Mr Ferguson said.
“It will also allow Labor to explain how they managed to both oppose the proposals, while at the same time promising many of the exact same measures.”
Mr Ferguson also hit back at Federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten over proposed changes to the state’s gun laws, saying he did not know what he was talking about.”
Rabid Roland also chimed in:
“Roland Browne from Gun Control Australia said the State Government appeared increasingly confused about its own policy.
“The Premier says his advice is it doesn’t breach the National Firearms Agreement, now the Upper House wants to have an inquiry into whether it does breach the National Firearms Agreement or not, and then the current Minister says he wants to clarify whether it breaches it,” he said.
“What needs to happen is less an inquiry and more the Government being straight with the community and saying ‘This is what we were intending to do but we are abandoning those plans’, if that is what they are actually doing — it’s impossible to know.”
Roland was previously whingeing about lack of consultation and now consultation is being offered, he turns around and complains that there shouldn’t be any and a decision should be made.
The guy’s a joke but nothing new there.
Ferguson is 100% correct about Labor. They supported the changes and had virtually the same policy Liberal did coming into the election, only for their federal counterparts to put their foot in their mouths.
Again, the ABC perpetuates the lie that the policy was released on the eve of the election when it clearly wasn’t:
The changes are completely miniscule and are welcomed. As for the ABC calling them silencers, well this is basically all that firearm suppressors do:
Yeh, run for the hills Ma Parker.
A lot of money in public health and pest control could be saved with the deployment of suppressors for professional and recreational use, but it seems hysteria is still the order of the day. Meanwhile, suppressors are in use over in New Zealand and the sky has not fallen in.
The only benefit this inquiry would have if public submissions are advertised and invited, including the larger shooting community.
That being said, it’s still a waste of time and money. The changes were made after already extensive consultation and the voting public had the chance to send the message to the government at the election if they didn’t want it, but went and voted the Hodgman government back in anyway.
If you’re actually going to do it Will Hodgman, just do it and get it over with. There are more important issues facing the state of Tasmania and the hysterical cries of blood in the street from a small minority of anti-gun loonies, are just that.