Media Release: Community at risk over firearm data ‘honeypot’
Victoria’s firearm registry has become a ballooning risk to public safety, according to the political arm of the state’s shooting organisations.
Combined Firearms Council of Victoria president, Bill Paterson, said recent data leaks in Victoria and New South Wales compromised the safety of shooters and community members, and more leaks were inevitable.
In January, details of approximately 8,000 Victorian game licence holders were sent to the wrong email addresses. In April, over 100 New South Wales shooters licences were sent to the wrong addresses.
“This is unacceptable, firearms owners understand that the Registry needs details of their name and address, but those owners certainly do not want the fact that they hold guns at their home made public, along with the address”, he said.
“If something doesn’t work, is expensive to maintain and becomes a liability to the community, it needs to be stopped. That’s where we’re at with firearm registration. Our system was designed in 1983, and it shows”.
He said abolishing the registry creates no safety risks for the community because licensing of shooters would be retained.
“We support licensing and think more effective outcomes could be obtained with better partnership arrangements between government and the shooting community.
“International experience is on our side. In 2011 Canada abolished its registry and New Zealand which has 20% more shooters than we have in Victoria, doesn’t register longarms. Neither country has a ‘gun problem’”
“Yet in Victoria, we deal with t-shirt launchers in the same way as military style semi-automatic rifles.
“Somehow, that doesn’t seem right.