Bugsy,

Pre 1996 the police issued "Possess, Use and Carry" licences in NSW and no one had the faintest idea who had a gun, one person in the Lyndt Cafe with a handgun could have stopped Monis and saved the life of the person that he killed and the life of the unfortunate woman who was killed by police fire.
I'll say nowt about the police actions as we are still awaiting the findings of the Coroner.

It doesn't sound stupid to me, Bugsy.

The elephant in the room which you studiously avoid noticing, is that firearms laws in Australia were once almost non existent, and people did not go around massacring people or holding other people hostage. As a matter of fact, Australia's first hostage situation, involving a young man named Wally Mellish, became such a farce it made the NSW Police Department the laughing stock of the world.

Wally was upset that his girlfriend wanted to break up with him, so he went to her house with a knife and demanded that she take him back, or he would kill her and himself. When the cops turned up, a standoff occurred, because the NSW Police had no experience with hostage situations. Next came the media in force, which prompted no less than the Police Commissioner to turn up to appeal to Wally to come out. Wally demanded that the police give him an Armalite rifle and ammunition which was duly delivered to him. Needless to say, police departments all over the world were laughing their heads off. It was not because the NSW Police were stupid, but they were dealing with a situation which had never experienced before. People in Australia did not behave like that.

In those days, people who's jobs involved the carrying of valuables, or large amounts of cash, were licensed to carry concealed handguns. That included security guards, bookmakers, payroll employees, jewellers, and gun shop owners. Bank tellers in suburban banks were armed and were quite prepared to shoot it out with any stupid bank robber dumb enough to try and rob their banks. Needless to say, bank robberies were rare. Especially since for most of last century, armed robbery was a hanging offence.

There are excellent reasons why retired police officers, retired and serving officers in the armed forces (and senior NCO's), plus war heroes, should be allowed the privilege of carrying handguns. If we don't trust of very best to protect us, then there is something seriously wrong with our value systems.

I see the government is trying harder to permanently ban the Adler L/A 12g Shotgun, from being imported into Australia ? Why, what are the reasons ? There are infinitely more F/A's on the market, just as lethal, just as effective with rapid cycling, as this Turkish mfg'd SG. ? I wonder who's advising government in this instance ?

o sung wu,

Probably that shadowy and unaccountable group Gun Control Australia.
What you say is true the Adler is no faster at delivering multiple shots than many other repeating firearms.
It's just another chance to have a go at firearm owners, maybe Abbott, in banning it, wanted to emulate his one time boss.
I don't think that Tony will achieve the heights of John Howard and have a cartridge named after him, no one would want a round that continually misfires.

Just as an asid, Gun Control Australia was going to be called Australian Gun Control but a keen shooter got in first and registered the name before them.

It would be highly embarrassing given the furore surrounding the ethical problems and alleged conflicted personal and job roles of federal politicians, if any of the shadowy few behind that disclosure-averse gun control outfit turn out to be moonlighting public servants.

Worse if they are trying to serve two masters, especially if they are linked with domestic political interests or some overseas organisation, as some allege.

It is outrageous and unethical that some media outlets and particularly the taxpayer-funded ABC are giving podiums and free publicity to a shadowy 'gun control' crew without giving the public full disclosure detailing specifically who they are, what membership they have in Australia and what domestic and international political interests and organisations are linked with them and the nature of any support.

Australians need to be aware that they live in what is now a hotly contested area of the Globe and the number of jealous eyes observing the agricultural land and other resources are increasing. Australians are far too naive and trusting in 'some else' watching and protecting their liberty.

There should be very deep concern where any international private interests, organisations or other countries seek to interfere in Australia's domestic politics and justifiable outrage where they are doing it in secret.

The author of the article, a Labor politician, levels criticism at the NRA who are public in their opposition to Oz politicians like John Howard telling the US how to conduct its affairs.

However the author is silent about the shadowy influences, domestic and international, and probably some activist politicians too that are behind the very flawed thrust for 'gun control' in Australia.

The Australian public are not even being permitted to know what PUBLIC money, other resources and support are being directed to those secret squirrel 'gun control' activists, whoever they are. Are they interfering in other countries and using Australia as a base?

Again, who knows, but the public SHOULD be informed of every detail about the hidden figures behind 'Gun Control'(sic) that rationalises its totalitarian aim of disarming the Australian civilian population (who are licensed, law-abiding and are only about lawful ownership and use), by deliberately conflating those responsible law-abiding citizens with the few criminals who offend.

To say again, there is no comparison between 'Gun Control'(sic) and the reasonable, proven alternative, which is effective, risk-based, regulation and management of firearms that results in evidence-based laws that are effective, efficient and robust.

Good laws enjoy the full support of the public. Good laws do not need to be sold through shameful tactics of fudging numbers and facts. Fear mongering, wedge politics and secret squirrel political deals behind closed doors are not required where laws are based on evidence and fair.

'Gun Control' is the euphemism for the complete disarming of the citizens of the Western democracies. It is about confiscations from ordinary law-abiding citizens by the State under force of arms by the State. 'Gun Control' is totalitarianism.