The ‘gun debate’ has flared up in Australian media once again, after the Federal Government announced last week that there would be no changes to firearms laws.
The National Firearms Agreement flew under the radar at COAG on April 1, despite previous reports that it would be reviewed by state leaders at the Canberra meeting.
Following COAG, former prime minister John Howard said on SBS program Insight last week that the laws he introduced – and heavily promoted as his proudest legacy – were inadequate. But his statement was refuted by Federal Justice Minister Michael Keenan.
“The gun laws that we have in place at the moment are the gun laws that he very courageously put in place in 1996 in conjunction with the states and territories,” he said at a press conference last week. “There’s no plans to change what has been a very successful gun control agreement in Australia.”
Mr Keenan made reference to the case of Curtis Cheng who was shot by a 15-year-old boy after leaving work last year. The Minister said the country’s gun control laws were not to blame for the boy obtaining the firearm.
“What that demonstrates is there are a large number of illegal firearms in Australia – that was an illegal gun that was used in that case,” he said.
Mr Keenan said the Federal Government wanted to crack down on the illegal market by enforcing mandatory sentencing for gun smugglers, but its legislation was blocked in the Senate.
With the State and Commonwealth leaders’ attention turned back in the right direction, the anti-gun lobby has ramped up its fight to scare the public into pushing for tighter gun control.
Splashed across print publications and broadcast across television and radio stations over the past week are the same lies we’ve heard for years.
Liberal Democrats Senator David Leyonhjelm has released a series of facts to assist firearms users in straightening out the lies and educating the non-shooter public on the issues.
SSAA National also released a statement last week, following the publication of an appallingly written news story in the Herald Sun. Read the statement here.