Fortunately, Senator (emporer) Lyonenhljom's term, self imposed (delusional) importance and puerile prognostications, will end in three years?

We agree on little save singing from the same hymn sheet on firearms restrictions?
Alan B.

"Don't expect to see much progress on repairing the budget, controlling spending or reducing taxes. But then, on these matters, not many of the pundits seem to care."
Hey David, have you considered that this is because the public know something you don't?

Considering that our credit limit is infinite (because we own the RBA), "budget repair" while the private sector is weak is grossly irresponsible. Right now we need stimulus instead.

"Controlling spending" may sound good, but in practice it results in false economies as people pursue spending targets instead of trying to get value for money. Also you seem to have failed to realise that Australians want the government to provide better services.

As for cutting taxes, it would be better if you (like most of the rest of the population) regarded it as one of many competing objectives, not the be all and end all. But if you must dogmatically focus on cutting taxes, at least do it fairly: focus on the GST (which we'd all benefit from the abolition of) rather than supporting tax cuts aimed at rich people and overseas shareholders.

The Senator for Guns?

Re where Leyno says:

"just last month the government reneged on a written deal with me to stick to John Howard's list of banned firearms rather than extend the ban to a firearm that is already widely available."

Leyno is referring to his main policy interest, which is apparently not health, education or welfare, but guns, Second Amendment of another country's Constitution *

The gun in question is the lever action Adler A110 "shotgun" This is a semi-automatic weapon - so should be banned. But because it fires shotgun cartridge contents (making it technically a "shotgun") it can evade the semi-auto ban.

See the repeat of Port Arthur fears http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/law-order/flood-of-adler-a110-model-shotguns-into-victoria-prompts-calls-for-ban/news-story/fc6da04c3d517bd57695ad2404dfd648

Here's the Adlers, lever action http://www.safarifirearms.com.au/adler-a110-12-gauge-lever-action-shotgun-2.html

The Adler easy reload shotgun can kill alot of ducks and unfortunately... people, which is a risk to Australia's low gun-death society.

* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution

We haven't had a government for nearly 4 months (since the 8th of May)

Or should it be said, we haven't had a political party in control of the country for nearly 4 months (since the 8th of May)

The country is in a very bad state because of political parties, and the country will likely fail because of political parties.

But we have survived for nearly 4 months without political parties.

I thinks the country does not need political parties.

Time to think outside of the box of political parties.

A gun is just a piece of inanimate metal and wood!

And we have no real capacity to actually prevent the criminal element getting their hands on lethal weapons, replete with a preferred actio or calibre.

Guns don't kill, just the nut aiming one and pulling the trigger!

Sensible amendments would allow the private citizen the right to acquire automatic shotguns?

Always providing the licence needed, would be so marked (like spectacles on your driver's licence) as to allow only the purchase of non lethal bean bag ammunition! For which a current shooters licence would need to be presented to acquire!

And ought to be allowable as personal protection! Nobody ought to be placed in the invidious position of risking their own wellbeing or safety, or that of a protective family member/pet at the hands of an armed intruder, or shooting first and asking questions later?

That said, armed intruders, drug addicts etc, don't give a rats if a sleeping female is stabbed, brutalized or raped; or if an elderly veteran is clubbed senseless/within an inch of his/her life, so his/her car, portable valuables or medals can be stolen then pawned for a fraction of their value!?

Crimes, proactive home invasions, stabbings and clubbing only require seconds, whereas reactionary police response times can be minutes, or longer on weekends or holidays, when the thin blue line, may be mostly occupied with traffic duty/revenue raising?

And the break in merchants are aware of this and seem to be most active weekends and holidays, with clever tricks that are designed to defeat your security, such as load and persistent knocking or just turning your power off at an easily accessible meter box!

Bean bag ammo fired at the belly from a few feet won't kill, but seriously inconvenience an unwelcome uninvited nocturnal visitor! Even one driven insane by an all too common and prevalent ice addiction!

And only stoppable by rapidly repeated belly button bombardment. Take away the option of fully automatic twenty round autos, and all that's left is regular actions, lethal ammunition and possibly fatal consequences!
Alan B.

plantagenet, "The Senator for Guns?"

A rather obvious 'poisoned-well' fallacy, combined with dog whistling.

Regarding your misleading description of the firearm as a 'semi-automatic', it is no such thing.

The design is pre-1900, single-shot, lever action.

That was before John Wayne was born. The 'new' shotgun has a clunker action that would have been put to shame by lever action rifles made prior to 1900 that featured in B&W movies decades before many here were a twinkle in their Old Man's eye.

Chuck Connors of 'The Rifleman' cowboy series would have laughed at anyone who came to the gunfight with a modern(sic) Adler. Connors died a quarter of a century ago.

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=1145

As for your inference (inverted commas) that it might not be a shotgun but something more sinister, a rifle?, Chuck Connors had better, but so did John Wayne.

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=1079