How did the COVID shutdown of gunshops get up?

[ChrisPer]

With the WA election coming, I called the office of a Labor Upper House member to say I am an ex-Liberal voter, and if he could get me the information on how gunshops got singled out for special treatment in the COVID shutdown, I would vote Labor.

Anyone else want to try this?

[bladeracer]

With the WA election coming, I called the office of a Labor Upper House member to say I am an ex-Liberal voter, and if he could get me the information on how gunshops got singled out for special treatment in the COVID shutdown, I would vote Labor.

Anyone else want to try this?

I wouldn't give Labor the satisfaction of believing a firearm owner would be dumb enough to vote for them either.

[1Fatman]

You won't get a straight answer from them anyway, they will give you some lame reason that it was for the safety of others etc etc.
There were only 3 states that closed the gun shops and funnily enough they were all labor states, that should tell you that voting for them will only cause more grief to LFO's if they are re-elected.

[Bugman]

I wouldn't waste my time on them. Each political party has it's own party line and no member of that articular party appears to want to go against the flow.
Don't forget that the Greens are aligned with Labor to get whichever of them across the line at the the time of any election. Now in saying that. my local state member is Liberal but lately that person appears to be heading with the Greens line of thinking in some areas.
Yours is an interesting post, but I don't think you will get a true and honest answer from them even if they wanted to give you the facts.

[Oldbloke]

I never vote for any of the majors.

And some here have short memories.

Little Johney H screwed us all big time.

[Bugman]

He sure did!!!

[ChrisPer]

I never vote for any of the majors.

And some here have short memories.

Little Johney H screwed us all big time.

Not me.
I wrote this:
http://www.sportingshooter.com.au/news/opinion-the-national-firearms-agreement-born-in-hate-and-out-of-date

[ChrisPer]

I never vote for any of the majors.

And some here have short memories.

Little Johney H screwed us all big time.

Not me.
I wrote this:
http://www.sportingshooter.com.au/news/opinion-the-national-firearms-agreement-born-in-hate-and-out-of-date

and this: https://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=14495

And this:
http://www.class.org.au/Ideas%20Kill%20-%20Science%20and%20the%20Massacre%203.pdf

[Tiger650]

Ditto Oldbloke, was solid Lib / Nat [party member] but never will forgive that fitup.
The Gestapo used the term "Sippenhaft" which was collective guilt, in that instance family and close friends would suffer along with the "criminal".
Very well written Chris, I have a view re the influence of advertising on suicide rates amongst young rural males.
The subliminal but incessant message is to the effect that if you cannot afford the latest bit of chrome plated crap you are a loser.

[ChrisPer]

Interesting idea Tiger650, I am sure that its part of the picture.

[ChrisPer]

Dear XXXX,

Thank you for contacting our office on Tuesday 10 March 2021. Regarding your enquiry, we have received the following information:

On March 27, 2020 gun shops and firearms dealerships were closed by the Western Australian Government as part of a raft of measures to maximise public safety at the height COVID-19 pandemic.
It followed the Stage Two restrictions to close community sporting facilities, including shooting ranges and gun clubs.
Given the close of firearm sporting clubs and shooting venues, and the need to comply with social distancing, there is effectively no need for over the counter sales at gun stores.
Whilst it is recognised firearm owners and dealers exercise high compliance, these preventative measures were taken in the interests of community safety.
Exemptions were put in place to ensure farmers and other rural landholders can continue to access ammunition for pest control and animal welfare reasons.
We hope that the above is of some assistance.
Thank you.
Kind regards,
XXXXXX

ELECTORATE OFFICER

Whilst it is recognised firearm owners and dealers exercise high compliance,

Uhuh.
Well at least a couple of them have been advised that their actions are remembered at election time.

[womble]

From a Victoria perspective it happened early stages of the virus. People thinking armagaedon was apon us. News reports showing US gun shops had queues out the door, down the street and round the corner.

So naturally vicpol, being a somewhat understandably paranoid bunch, panicked.
Then they realised that was’nt a good look.
So came up with the excuse it was to prevent lafo domestic violence.
Then realised that was a dumb thing to say.
I think that minister got moved along after apologising for being such a huge d**khead in a time when the public needed to calm the f*** down.
Really did’nt need the police force to get caught up in the hysteria. Tinfoil was flying of the shelves.
And so decisions made in panic were reversed. Image restored.

[ChrisPer]

A fairly sound perspective Womble.
Next question... was it just retarded, or should we interpret it as systemic racism?
It's because we are black, isn't it?

[Bill]

WA shooter wont ever get a better opportunity to grab some power back with the WA libtards getting belted, not a good omen for Scomo either with 2 of the 3 Fed Pollies on mental health leave and both most likely to lose their jobs.

[womble]

A fairly sound perspective Womble.
Next question... was it just retarded, or should we interpret it as systemic racism?
It's because we are black, isn't it?

I believe it was yes. As lafos we are governed by the police, unlike other Australian citizens. They were tasked with this in 96.
Yet still they’ve never been given the knowledge and resources to do so effectively. And the act itself is neither pragmatic or reasonable.
It’s a difficult task and as such difficult to criticize their efforts. They are not infallible and there are many cases where they have been overzealous in their task, with honourable intentions.
On the flip side it is sometimes difficult as a lafo to be governed by police rule. For a policeman everyone is a suspect. And we are forever subject to that.

I’ve enjoyed your articles btw.
If we are lucky we will have politicians in government that will just leave the status quo in our regard as things are. If they are smart. There’s nothing to gain politically by touching the firearms act. It’s also potentially political suicide if you get it wrong.
So mostly they’re just to scared to go near it. Andrews won’t touch it.
However, Andrews always outsources expertise from the relevant field. In this case the police minister advised it and got what was requested.
Apparently it’s hard to find good police ministers.

There’s effectively no-one we can vote for. Any minor party with a hint of pro firearm will get preferenced last.
All we can do is vote against anything seemingly green or liberal (rapey) or progressive.

[boingk]

Vote against anyone who will listen to SHY / Greens. They're insane. All bluster, full-forward assault, zero tolerance or compromise.

Sounds a little bit like Nazism if you ask me. Wearing a skirt. Dangerous.

[Tiger650]

Interesting idea Tiger650, I am sure that its part of the picture.

Destruction of males is a welcome by-product, particularly to the likes of Annabel Crabbe.[to whom we pay a handsome salary ]

The re-distribution of our money is important to the point where evil Harpies such as the above are turbocharged, as are the apparent legions of "experts" and "scientists" who take the offered coin to betray us re global warming [whoops sorry "climate change"]

Methods of gleaning said money are applied without conscience nor remorse, I recall in Vic the TAB was introduced to "control" SP Bookies, an important part of the Charter of that organisation was that it should not promote gambling.

A few yrs later we saw TV ads depicting joyous people having done "The lucky shop hop"

Poker machines are an effective and very profitable form of class warfare.

The state exists to serve the state and cares not re consequences, nor the presence of malevolent background players, treason writ large.

[womble]

There are checks and balances in play, socially and politically, to ensure we just slowly die out and fade away.

But the sport is experiencing a growth spurt currently. And it may well be the last spurt we see in our lifetimes in Australia
As a collective we need to better seize the opportunity.
All clubs need to be entirely welcoming to new people. Some I’ve found are much moreso than others.
We need to be more inviting and inclusive. We can’t win this game if we don’t play by todays rules. And by that i mean take special care not to offend anyone.
It is pointless and fruitless to constantly lament the bygone era.
We need to to focus on the future or there won’t be one.

A visit to a firearms range will greet you with older white males and stiff upper lips. And i thank them and love them for their tireless efforts.
But today it’s not enough. We need more young volunteers. We need more young women volunteers.
In fact the more diverse the memberships the better. The more cultural differences the better. The more racial differences the better. The more muslims the better. The more gays the better. The more asians the better. The more hippie weirdo green haired people who identify as bizzare genders the better.
Why ?
Because these are subcultures in our society who have experienced some level of persecution or alienation.
And when we as lafos as a whole are persecuted, these groups will draw attention to it. They will effect a greater public outcry. And in response deliver a better political outcome.
A And i write this as an old white male. Shake hands and smile with everyone who shows an interest. Show no bias. Befriend them and do not challenge their ideals.
The greater the sphere of membership and influence in society, the lesser the opposition.

I’ll give you an example we can exploit in the current political environment.
Women experiencing domestic violence. As a lafo, a woman would be reluctant to report abuse, because she’d face persecution.
That’s just one flaw in the firearms act.
By coincidence a flaw that greater society currently wants to address.
Are you seeing where this can lead ? The re-instatement of firearm ownership for self defense.

Piece by piece we can dismantle the flaws. Because what we can offer to societies alienated and persecuted, is a fight for greater freedoms and liberties. At the very least, a greater sense of self empowerment.

Invite all. It is imperative that we grow our number by any means. Because we need the numbers to have a voice.
Stop wasting time trying to adopt overseas models. We need our own unique model. It needs to be something new that they are not accustomed to fighting.
Improvise, adapt, overcome.
Nothing is impossible if we actively remove our own limitations.

[JimTom]

Here in QLD I believe the LABOUR gov used domestic violence as the reason for closure of firearm shops. Funnily enough they didn’t close Dan Murphy’s or BWS. Although I don’t have stats, I would bet that alcohol is more often than not involved in domestic violence.
Just an excuse by the Labour Gov to try and screw compliant law abiding firearm owners.

[Bugman]

Also, it is a political coward who, behind the scenes, drafts the diatribe and convinces the respective member to push into legislation etc. They are probably paid (by the taxpayer) an exorbitant salary, yet get to hide away from all and sundry. I despise these cretins.

[bigrich]

Here in QLD I believe the LABOUR gov used domestic violence as the reason for closure of firearm shops. Funnily enough they didn’t close Dan Murphy’s or BWS. Although I don’t have stats, I would bet that alcohol is more often than not involved in domestic violence.
Just an excuse by the Labour Gov to try and screw compliant law abiding firearm owners.

that's a point that resonates with me . from my own life experience , domestic violence usually involves alcohol . growing up around logan as a young fella i even saw "urban warfare" between yobbo neihbours once they'd had a few .......

such hypocracy to close gun shops but let the bottle shops stay open on the grounds of domestic violence

[boingk]

Invite all.

Well goddamn said mate.

I've been all but outright turned away as a fit young bloke in my then early 20's, and felt that because I wasn't 50+ years old with a lifetime of experience that I wasn't up to being a club member.

Moved, went for a look, found nothing but happy and welcoming club members. Club pres gave me his number and said "mate if you need to get out here and can't find a range partner, give me a yell". Cant get much more welcoming than that.

I'm glad its much more than me an the local mob realising it - its the future of the sport. Its inclusive, and why not? I could give a stuff what race or creed someone is, much like my vehicles if I can have a chat to them after the session about what they have in their collection and what they do with it and how... then who cares what they look like?

- boingk

[bah!]

All clubs need to be entirely welcoming to new people.

Honestly given the rest of your buggo posts, make sure someone else does it ok? You can't just pick up a bit of suffrage to make sure you gun club doesn't go under, people can see through that s**t in seconds.

[linkoln]

Don't forget John Howard was a liberal and with the wave of a pen he ended the modern sport of shooting forever. Labor/ liberal they are all the same, all they care about is being elected and if banning guns does that they will do it.

[on_one_wheel]

Don't forget John Howard was a liberal and with the wave of a pen he ended the modern sport of shooting forever

Thats a little dramatic, last time I checked, shooting was still a sport here in Australia.
Howard's approach to firearms laws were in my opinion way over the top and only targeted the law abiding with little to no change to how criminals were prosecuted for firearms offences. He should've started out with mandatory licensing, registration, storage and put a focus on mandatory sentences for serious firearms offences and left it at that.

Howard... the same a$$ hat that said he'd "never ever " introduce the GST, only to introduce it after he was re elected, calling it the tax to replace all other sales taxes including stamp duty. Its thanks to dorks like Howard that we find it hard to believe a word our politicians tell us.
He's a f#€king grub.

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[linkoln]

Don't forget John Howard was a liberal and with the wave of a pen he ended the modern sport of shooting forever

Thats a little dramatic, last time I checked, shooting was still a sport here in Australia.
Howard's approach to firearms laws were in my opinion way over the top and only targeted the law abiding with little to no change to how criminals were prosecuted for firearms offences. He should've started out with mandatory licensing, registration, storage and put a focus on mandatory sentences for serious firearms offences and left it at that.

Howard... the same a$$ hat that said he'd "never ever " introduce the GST, only to introduce it after he was re elected, calling it the tax to replace all other sales taxes including stamp duty. Its thanks to dorks like Howard that we find it hard to believe a word our politicians tell us.
He's a f#€king grub.

images (7).jpeg

It was intended to be hyperbolic because yes we can shoot but one shot at a time with rifles based on technology from almost 200 hundred years ago. The legislation that has defined the sport for the last 25 years was written up in 10 days after a tragedy and has changed very little in that time, he should have taken a breath and if he considered all the things you listed would have made more sense than a blanket ban.
I've spent a lot of time in the US and even their most restrictive states like in California Australia is in the stone age in comparison.

[on_one_wheel]

Yes, we miss going to the local range and firing a thousand rounds into a piece of paper with the M60 for the belt fed machine gun class.... those were the days..

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[Skinna]

With the WA election coming, I called the office of a Labor Upper House member to say I am an ex-Liberal voter, and if he could get me the information on how gunshops got singled out for special treatment in the COVID shutdown, I would vote Labor.

Anyone else want to try this?

Well done...
I havent read this entire thread, only the few below who seem to shrug shoulders & project lazyness as being a waste of time.

Im all for ANY letter to hit public members desks & offices. The more the better, & the louder the better quite frankly.

It seems all to easy for people to fall under the spell of ;"its too hard/cant be bothered/waste of time" rhetoric, use their keyboard to blame everyone else, & then when the next stupid & utterly oppressive restriction is introduced under the "public safety" flag, blame their fellow shooters as "a group" for not doing anything about it.
Its just what the totalitarians want, its all about us falling into line for them.

As an, avid fur busting animal & life loving gun owning shooter & conservationist, I appreciate your efforts. Well done ChrisPer .

[Skinna]

WA shooter wont ever get a better opportunity to grab some power back with the WA libtards getting belted, not a good omen for Scomo either with 2 of the 3 Fed Pollies on mental health leave and both most likely to lose their jobs.

Hilarious Bill...i love your lack of impulse controll when it comes to firing a shot at even the slightest of opportunities in the direction Scomo's sihlouette...!!
Hilarious...!!