Is anyone else but me interested in the Weapons Act Review currently being conducted by the Qld Government?

God help us if I am!

It would seem that the only ones so far, pushing to encourage a change in the Gun Laws, are the people belonging to Pro Gun organisations.

And is it any wonder!

These Pro-Gun organisations, acting under the guise of a 'Return to Fairer Gun Laws' for gun owners and sporting shooters, are trying to make easier again, for people to obtain and operate a gun.

Sadly, they stand a good chance of doing just that, if the complacency attributed by the general public to this review is anything to go by. These Pro Gun organisations stand to undo a lot of the good work already achieved by the Federal and State Governments on Gun Control issues.

So if anyone reading this cares about the Weapons Act Review, I strongly suggest you follow up it up on the Qld Police web site, and give these Pro Gun organisations a run for their money!

Rock.

Would be interested to hear why you are concerned?

Just in your own few words if thats ok?

I must be honest I had not heard. Can you perhaps post the link.
It was rather interesting to watch throughout the buy back laws.
These guys would go into their gun shop or pistrol club and take all their old weapons that they couldnt even use anymore.
Then they would receive a nice big fat cheque which enabled them to rush off and by far better and new guns.
Did you know they did not have to change the law to have the buy back?
True. It was a political stunt that cost the tax payers heaps for nothing.
They already had the powers.
Anyway- That aside why are you concerned about people having guns.
Just curious.

PAEL/IF

Firstly, I'm not against people owning guns. I'm against people trying to make it easy to get one. If someone has a legitimate reason to own a gun, I agree they should retain the right to do so, but that shouldn't include the right to have it made easy.

The new gun laws which were introduced 10 years ago, managed to bring some sanity back into the way guns, (in particular, automatic and semi-automatic rifles) were obtained. The previous system was abysmal.
Despite the majority of people approving the introduction of the new laws, the pro gun lobby would like to wind these laws back, so that once again these weapons are easier to obtain, hence back on the street in greater numbers.

I agree with your comments about the buy-back system not working as effectively as it should have. It was rushed through too quickly.
A person I know bought a semi-automatic .22 rifle for thirty dollars second hand, then received $540 for the same gun in the buy-back scheme. He promptly went out and purchased a brand new rifle with the money received, and as you stated this possibly happened many, many times.

Did the buy-back make a difference? I think it did. A lot of guns, (possibly thousands) sitting in cupboards only gathering dust, would have been taken out of circulation, this, despite the failings of some parts of the buy-back scheme.
Whilst I realise there has been people injured and murdered from shooting since the new laws were introduced, I know I rest a little more easily knowing that some crazy person, (and who can tell what will turn a normal person into a crazy person) has a little more time to reflect upon their intended unlawful actions, before obtaining a firearm.

In some areas, the law needs a bit more work. Some aspects need re-examining to tidy up the edges, but in the end, perhaps soon, we'll have a set of laws, everyone can live with - provided they don't get shot!

Try www.police.qld.gov.au/Forms/weaponsActReview.asp for the link.

As always, the problem is very rarely the legal, registered guns. The real problem is the guns that no-one knows exists. If the right controls were in place, it would be very hard to get a registered gun to disappear outside the legal framework (eg annual inspections of said registered firearm). Licencing of owners restricts the number of guns, and the types of guns that they are able to hold. For example, guns with certain capacities are restricted to those with a genuine need (farmers).

The real danger, is those guns that are sold in the black market. And believe me, it is very easy to get your hands on pretty much anything you want (including uzi's and bren guns). You've just got to know the right people, know how to ask without getting yourself bumped off for your efforts, and be prepared to pay the price. A brand new pistol will cost around $1500. Not much if you want something easy to handle and conceal. I worry far more about this type of weapon, as they are near impossible to track.

Guns laws (particularly in relation to ownership of numbers and types) could be loosened up significantly without putting the public in danger, if only tighter restrictions were placed around reporting and inspection. But that would take too much time and money, so the govt (of any state) isnt interested in what would be a win-win situation.

Hi Country Gal

Treading on dangerous ground to relax any part of the current laws I would suggest.
I'd argue that point about only unlicensed and illegal gun owners being at fault too.
How much does it take to turn a legitimate gun owner into an illegal one. Not a lot I would suggest.

"How much does it take to turn a legitimate gun owner into an illegal one. Not a lot I would suggest."

Fair question Rock Collector, but I could ask this of you.... "What does it take to turn a legitimate knife owner into an illegal one?" We could ask the same of owners of cricket bats, iron bars and the biggie... car owners who maim and kill many times more people a year than do legitimate firearm owners.

As Country Gal said, illegal firearms are relatively easy to obtain if you ask the right questions of the right people. I'm of the opinion that all Howard's firearm laws did was to create a black market for unregistered firearms including pistols. I've always remained deeply suspicious of Howard's interest in attempting to disarm the Australian population.