I frequently bring this subject up all over the country.
Some years ago I wrote to the Howard government and asked if there were sufficient military handweapons in the Defence arsenals for a citizens home guard defence force if one was needed.
Back then, in John Howards early years as PM, the answer I received was too vague to really understand.
It wasnt a No but it certainly wasnt a Yes and in the end I think I just got another government runaround response.
Not long afterwards, Port Arthur Tasmania happened and then the semi-automatic rifles got taken away from all of the gun owners...the farmers and the gun clubbers. I dont complain about that though.
I wrote again on the need for a citizens home guard defence force in the light of Chinas military build up and once again, this time from Brendan Nelson: the Minister of Defence, I got the reponse that there were no plans, at all, for a citizens home guard army anywhere in the future.
And Im still wondering about what lies in quiet Defence arsenals?

80,000 Austeyrs for existing military personnel are simply not enough for a now, mostly gunless country to defend that country with if a major conflict breaks out in the region.
I therefore ask the question again in hope of an answer...from anyone... "are there enough military hand weapons and ammunition in Defence arsenals for a home guard army?
Are there plans for a home guard defence force using the gun clubbers?
Has anything been printed for home guard by Defence ...e.g. a handbook to help form a home guard army?
If we look carefully... the whole world is destablising.
China never stops building for war.
And here we sit in a hillbilly state of preparedness.
Oh woe to Australia if disaster happens in the South Pacific!

Gibo,

Just handing a civilian a gun is pointless. If you want to, you can join the reserves, which will teach you how to use the weapon, how to fight as part of a unit and teach you survival skills. But an armed civilian is more dangerous to himself and his family than anything else.

Your Chinese and Indonesian army nightmares are just that. Fantasies. Besides, there are a number of countries that China and Indonesia have interest in, before us. Any belligerence on the part of these two countries will change the defence structure in this country.

We need to focus on deterence, and frankly home guards are not a real deterrent to a modern army. If either country gained a foothold on the Australian mainland that was not immediately repulsed, it would be game over for us anyway.

Even a citizens guard armed with Javelin ATGM's would be little more than a speed bump for a modern armoured force. And the Chinese and Indonesians would be a lot less careful about the "rules of war" than the coalition forces in Afghanistan or Iraq.

So you're better off supporting the acquisition of extra f35's, f22's increasing the size of the regular army's armoured forces, and increasing the submarine forces. That would provide real deterrence and a capable fighting force.

Well we all have a view Paul.L.

Mine is that an enemy got here.

My view is that now is the time to plan and to train...I did mention the printing of a book for home guard participants.
It would be good to see one issued to the gun clubbers so they can gear up in their hearts.
Unless we know the Bible we're not going to be ready for whats coming.
I dont think our defence strategists know their Bibles.
They seem to buy and equip according to man-made projections of the future... which cuts Gods plan out.
Im for home guard using the citizens.
Im for the gunclubbers as a very important part of that homeguard.
Im for decentralisation for home guard.
Im for doing it now before The Book of Revelation clicks into play. China and Russia have plans for the USA.
That also has to be taken into consideration when planning for our safety.
The mighty USA may not be able to help Australia.

I think Australians deserve better gun rights. I think Gibo raises a excellent point and I would like to see much more access to guns for the citizenry (but only those who deserve and have the maturity and discretion to handle them...)

"but only those who deserve and have the maturity and discretion to handle them"

That's a joke, right? Because you can always tell mature and discrete citizens from immature and indiscrete ones from the tattoos on their foreheads describing them as such.

I dont mind the gun clubbers Steel.
I think theyre considerably responsible and would form a really good home guard if Defence was bright enough to see their potential. Defence is a bit proud though and thinks it can do the job without the people.
Being so proud and aloof I believe has given rise to much of the underground trafficking in weapons that we see today because truly, the people, or a relatively large proportion of them, simply dont trust Australias defence to governments and Defence departments.
Theyve seen such a vast amount of bungling in purchasings in the last few decades.
Defence needs to be purged. The old boys in the services cant even deal with the problem of the bastardisation in the forces.
Defence should in part be given to the corp world.
At least the financial incentives would bring in new thought.
Defence wants big, bright, shiny toys and leaves this huge hole in the area of the loss of the private guns and an unfilled Defence gun cupboard.
Chainsmoker also has a point about not all being trusted with greater gun access...but doing nothing about home guard isnt going to help either.
Its worth noting that if we get a very sudden change in the worlds military climate...one that has been in the planning for yonks...we can see Chinese paratroopers here within a number of days in such vast numbers the whole of the north can be over-run.
What then sweet old OZ?