The Herald Sun has once again, run stories on the proposed Adler ban.
On Thursday, the day before the police ministers were due to meet in Melbourne to discuss the Adler once again, the paper ran two articles and an editorial.
For a change, the paper provided more balance – at least in the articles.
The articles
The first article, which appears below (clickable link), includes comments from SSAA Vic’s CEO, Jack Wegman (also our Vice President) arguing for the firearm, and Walter Mikac against the firearm.
The second article was a column by Andrew Bolt where he goes deeper into the political horse-trading around the Adler (clickable link).
Finally there is this piece by the editor (clickable link). Not only is it wheeling out old arguments, but they suggest the Lindt Café inquiry imply the shooting would have been worse if Monis had a lever action shotgun. Not only did the Commonwealth report say no such thing (it said very little about firearms) but Monis had no firearms licence: he would have been a prohibited person.
While it is disappointing that the editor is having problems finding truthful arguments, it is to the paper’s credit that they provided more balanced coverage in the other articles. They also did not plug the Allannah and Madeline Foundation, which they had done in the past.
It’s not possible to tell if our collective efforts to get the Herald Sun clean up its act worked, but it certainly didn’t hurt.
The Police Minister’s conference outcome
Fortunately the police minister’s conference failed to result in agreement to recategorise it. Some states, NSW in particular, wanted our lever-action shotguns moved to cat B for 5 shot and D for 7 shot (therefore if you got a cat C licence, you might as well go for a pump action..) – while Queensland would not accept that because it knows it would get through its state parliament.
You can call that the Katter factor. We hope the Nationals can learn something from it.
A temporary reprieve
For the second time, our levers have had a stay of execution. It means the issue is likely to come up again sometime in the next year. We can only hope people lose interest in this, and the push to reclassify dies off.
One positive benefit though, is that it helps those of us in Victoria, buy some time while the industry embarks on a new business plan for 2017-18. This includes hosting an industry wide forum next April, which is open to all shooters, to help bring more and more shooters up to speed on what has been happening and what they can do about it.
(PSSSST. We’ve got something for you…)
We’ll be posting about the forum tomorrow, but given you have been good enough to read this so far, you can put your hand up for a ticket now, by clicking here.
Don’t forget to claim your Earlybird discount in the “Enter Promotion Code” area (the code word is “Earlybird”).
Hi
I love guns. I am not a gun hater.
I feel it is time to stop championing for Adler 7 shots and just stick to the current situation. Tony Abbot did all gun lovers a favour.
It is politcally inexpedient to allow lever action to have more than 5 shots when Category C pump action shot gun only allows 5. Category C must be seen to be more stringent than Category A.
1. Reclassify 7 shots lever action shot gun from Category A to Category B is a joke, bad for gun owners/lover.n2 more shots and accept lossing one rank from Category A to B is a bad trade.
2. Next will be reclassify all 7 shots lever action centre rifle currently not on the agenda.
In the end there will be no gun eligible to be in Category A.
2 more shots for Category B is a bad trade.
Dealers will still be able to sell 5 shots Adler, plenty of it. All eligible will still be able to enjoy this firearm. Our farmer friends who need pump action 5 shots shot gun for pest control still will be able to secure this Category C firearm.
Lets be honest. Proficient and very proficient lever action shooter can cyole the actiion almost as fast as an average pump action shooter. I appould this proficiency. Gun hater will not understand this human ability mastering a mechanical device.
Current status quo is not good but we have to live with it. Gun lovers cannot give up any more grounds. Anythings worse better to live in New Zealand.
Samuel,
I think most shooters would rather garden variety politicians like Abbot that know nothing about firearm’s keep their noses out of the debate all together, they have no interest in firearms yet they weigh in on making the rules / laws that affect us all, we should fight tooth & nail to the very end of ANY reclassification, they already confiscated our pump actions and semi-auto’s and this reclassification rubbish is only more of the same wedge except that we are past the thin end of it.
Lets not be to complacent
Me being a older age age firearms owner can remember the howard attempt and how the government originally only promised to blanket ban semi auto high powered rifles after the Hoddle St massacre {which never get a mention now}
most people now days forget this
the gun community agreed to this semi auto high powered ban back then as it seemed a good idea {who needs a semi auto high powered rifle to hunt deer or pigs ect I certainly didn’t}
thats a good idea every body thought {wrong}
back then howard promised not to touch any other type of firearms to be banned {wrong}
then Port Arthur came along and then the lies came out howard had in the wings ready to go to ban our semi auto shot guns and 22s ect pushed it thru parliament at a late night sitting while all the emotions where high about the Arthur tragedy
and BAM!! we all screwed thanks for coming
We must be diligent and fight for our democratic rights
because if we don’t and the Adler 5 and 7 shot is reclassified to any other than A or B ONLY!!
we will loose more guns we own and love
this is very important to people like me who own a 22 cal 10 shot pump action and a 5 shot model 94 30/30 lever action
WHY!! you ask because if they reclassify the adler 5 and 7 shot into a C or D our leaders will NO DOUBT eventually say seeing the 5 and 7 shot adler is a C or D classification now ALL firearms with a capacity of more than 5 shots will be put into a C or D cat
So people like me who have had and enjoyed using my legally owned and registered guns will once again loose them in some piss ant buy back scheme
All of us must put some input into this debate weather its writing letters to our pollys or letting your friend and their friends know the truth and facts
most people i talk to think what is said on radio/papers/television is factual and are quite surprised when i explain the true facts