Updated NFA: Here’s the joint industry submission

Over the last few weeks, a coalition of shooting organisations, led by the CFCV, engaged one of the most experienced and capable political consultants, to pull a submission to State and Federal Governments to address the changes to the National Firearms Agreement we weren’t told about.

The organisations are Victorian Amateur Pistol Association, International Practical Shooting Confederation, Sporting Shooters Association of Australia (Vic), Sporting Shooters Association of Australia (NSW), Field & Game Australia and the Antique & Historical Arms Collectors Guild of Vic.

Our submission

Here is the submission the sent to Justice Minister, Michael Keenan, earlier this week (click here to download it).

It is also being sent to other MPs to gain support for a pull back on these changes.  SIFA has made a similar submission.

What does the industry submission address?

The federal Minister for Justice Michael Keenan gave assurances that the only changes to the NFA will be those necessary to re-classify lever action shotguns and to accommodate technological change.

However the proposed new NFA goes further than this and would make owning firearms more difficult and more onerous.  A number of ‘optional’ provisions – such as imposing a 28 day waiting period to obtain a ‘Permit-To-Acquire’ – would now become mandatory.  It also encourages to states to ramp up storage requirements and require the making of new regulations for dealers, and others.

The changes also would affect collectors and would impose new obligations on some collectors which required them to destroy their property.

The response calls on Minister Keenan to ensure that the changes in the proposed NFA Agreement which are not related to re-classifying lever action shotguns or technological change are deleted.

Another issue is that some state or territory governments may come under pressure to use the new NFA agreement as an excuse to change existing legislation, policies and protocols, which have been in place for 15 to 20 years, to make it more difficult or more onerous to own firearms.

The organisations which are members of this coalition are speaking to federal and state politicians to ensure that there are not any changes to firearms ownership at a federal or state level other than changes concerning the classification of lever action shotguns.

The response also revisits two key problems out of the 1996 NFA, which are the narrow disciplines which are recognised for ‘genuine reason’ to obtain a licence, and the omission of junior licences.

The response does not challenge the reclassification of lever-action shotguns, but those things which were not announced and probably unknown to Minister Keenan.  We’ll deal with the lever-action shotgun issue later on.

This is your money at work

This work involved the engagement of a professional to assist us and did not come cheap.  The CFCV contributed a considerable sum, as did others, to fund the work.  That’s what your donation to the CFCV does – it helps us do this sort of work.

Want to help us do more?  It’s easy! Just click the blue “Donate Now” button.

What else can you do?

Shooters are encouraged to speak to their federal and state members of parliament to reinforce this message.

If you need help in finding out the names of your local members please post a comment here with your suburb and we’ll let you know who it is.

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