The 18 month Adler A110 shotgun debacle has reached it’s anti-climax with COAG deciding to reclassify the 7-shot Adler lever action shotgun into Category D, while the 5-shot Adler will move from Category A to Category B.
This is just after a cache of illegal firearms was discovered in Cairns (no Adlers, what a surprise) with some dating back to thefts that occurred in 1995. As this was also occurring, a fatal stabbing transpired just 50 metres from a Police station and a man was left critical after being shot with an illegal firearm in Melbourne. Nothing to see here, safer Australia and all that.
So for those of you playing along at home this is how it works:
A firearm that has not been used in crime or a mass shooting in 140 years in Australia, has now been reclassified into the same category as semi-automatic centrefire rifles because of 2 extra shots. The 5 shot version moves to Category B. It is still legal to possess the 5 shot and (for the meantime) modify it up to 11 shots at the state level. Meanwhile, if you wish to purchase a whole two extras shots straight off of the factory line you need a Category D licence which also entitles you to semi-automatic rifles. Oh, and pump action shotguns and semi auto shotguns are in a lower Category (Category C) and also in Category D (if over 5 shot magazine capacity).
As you can see this decision is all about politics, preserving a certain narcissists’ “legacy”, civilian disarmament as David Leyonhjelm points out and nothing to do with reason, facts or logic.
According to the AMF funded intellectual heavyweights at the Herald Sun there are “hundreds of thousands of these lying around” even though only around 10,000 Adlers have been imported into the country. They also failed to get their basic facts right again in terms of categorisation:
Essentially, it’s a ban by stealth. If you bought one on a Category A licence (and modified the tube) you will need to re-register on a Category B licence or either sell your firearm or have it destroyed. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has already announced there will be no buyback. How did they do this? By enforcing it at the state level and circumventing the Constitution. This is also a reality check to all those apathetic, 5-shot Adler owners who think it doesn’t affect them. Welcome to the party, pals.
As usual, the presstitutes were out in force. Right on cue, professional victim Walter Mikac used his tried and tested 20 year platform of blaming everybody who didn’t kill his family, to influence national public policy. Because being the husband of a victim of the Port Arthur Massacre makes you a firearm expert in the same way Harold Holt’s wife became a Marine Biologist.
As you can see, not only does Walter barely have command of basic spelling and grammar, he’s now deeming lever action shotguns a “de facto semi automatic.” Seriously? Great, now my Toyota Corolla is just a “de facto” Audi A4. Mikac’s letter also appears to be not only cheap emotional blackmail, but also a veiled threat – make of that what you will.
So again, why is the Alannah and Madeline Foundation allowed access to the PM and COAG yet firearm groups were unilaterally shut out of all discussions? Because apparently 60,000 signatures of anonymous identities online over rides 1 million firearm owners and is representative out of 23 million people in Australia?
This week’s shenanigans also leads us to suspect that the spurious claims of the “stolen Adler” (leaked just two weeks before COAG, what a coincidence) printed by Samantha Maiden, may have been the work of corrupt Police inside NSW Police hoping to undermine Troy Grant and the NFA. Police now seem to be setting firearms policy, because we all vote for them at the end of the day.
The pick of the potato action had to be this tweet from Justice Minister Michael Keenan:
Yes folks, the same Justice Minister who stabbed David Leyonhjelm in the back and then along with Tony Abbott lied about there being a deal over the Adler, is celebrating anti-corruption on the same day as the result of his said corruption came into effect.
The bottom line: this debacle is also a convenient distraction from this week’s revelation over our unfolding economic disaster which the LNP are getting a complete free ride over.
The fight now goes to the state level. This begs the question – how bad will it get for the major parties? Well, the Nationals are finished permanently particularly in NSW with 5 of their seats incredibly marginal and in firearm owner-rich electorates. LDP, One Nation, Katter and SFFP will all win big as a result of this and other disastrous policies from the 2.1 major parties who continue determined to race each other to the bottom. WA, Queensland and, very possibly, Tasmania all have elections in 2017 – strap yourselves in.
One thing is certain arising from this whole debacle: Australia has now cemented a permanent standard for firearm policy based on emotion, lies and deception. But what else is new, right? On the flip side, they have kicked a hornet’s nest of over 1 million Australians that should never have been kicked in the first place.
All I can say is: if you think the Orange By-Election was just a flash in the pan, you better believe it wasn’t. Don’t say you weren’t warned.
I sincerely hope that you are write..it’s time we cleaned house while we still own something. .
That is a wonderfull representation of a totally morally and perhaps ethically corrupt political system. I know a little bit about ethics, did it at Deakin topped the year. The first thing is recognise honesty (not truth there are too many varients) and then act upon it irrespective of consequence. This government has allowed other entities to cloud their judgement and now have no control over the consequences.
That is a wonderful representation of a totally morally and perhaps ethically corrupt political system. I know a little bit about ethics I did it at deacon topped the year. The first thing is to recognise honesty (not truth there are too many varients) and then act upon irrespective of consequences . This government has allowed other entities to cloud their judgement and now have no control over the consequences.
Why do we have a bunch of monkeys running our country. The dumb fuckwits can’t tell the defence between shit and peanuts.
Great article.
dick heads
I’m looking forward to the WA state election. Goodbye Barnett, hello SFFP.
Cannot agree more. Watch the pollies suck to their imaginary supporters. Ask your local candidate about this issue. If they repeat this crap… then vote em out.
Wise words. Feel the wrath of 1mil plus law abiding shooters
Very well written article with plenty of humour and we’ll delivered jab’s directed at a jester filled government with zero gun knowledge. Cheers Hoff.
Appreciate it!
We all really need to take this seriously. I have been a lifelong liberal voter but I will never vote liberal again. I also think we should email Walter Mikac and ask him what qualifications does he have that make him a firearms expert and why it is that he can get an audience with the government and the various organisations that represent 1 million shooters could not. I also want him to tell us how recayegorising the Adler is going to stop criminals with firearms. Time to throw these politicians out on their arses.
I think this is disgraceful.
As usual the government is telling us what we need or want we elected them they should be working for us the people
Well said
I thank all who put this together a great read I hope it inspires many firearms owners into action
You are wrong on your numbers, it isn’t 1 million registered firearms owners out of 24 million population, it is 1 million registered firearms owners out of 16.5 million registered voters – that is the figure that counts.
We need to vote very carefully at state and federal levels.
Dear old Walter,can’t use the truth,or the facts. Feels the need to resort to emotive.cheap,baseless statements designed to appeal to those sheep incapable of rational thought just content to blindly follow the leader. Walter cou’d’t run his finger up his bum if it was covered in vaseline.