dpskipper wrote:bladeracer wrote:
Good to see somebody sees how nonsensical the situation is. An email from a Policeman is not law.
Most dealers don't have the balls to stand up tho. If Mr Plod emails them, they'll tuck their tail behind their legs and fall in line.
Whilst this is absolutely true, we shouldn't collectively direct any real anger or frustration at dealers for this type of thing.
In my view the reality in Australia for a long time, across the board not only with gun law, is that those in power or those who have been delegated to enforce on behalf of that power, have been abusing us for ages. No one seems to care whether an edict is lawful, they just do whatever it is that forwards their own agenda. Law be damned, theres no hope of any meaningful ramifications to pursuing their own line of thought in this way, none whatsoever. The last couple of years, and particularly 2021, have made this abundantly clear.
What we in Australia actually need is an energetic nationwide representative body. No, the SSAA is not that body. We need the equivalent of the NRA in the USA. A body that is funded by interested people, and that should be all of us, who will actively pursue illegal activity by state and federal bodies through the high court of Australia, setting precedent law as they go along their way. The threat alone of such a well toothed beast would actually keep most of the worst offenders in line - because successful challenges set legal precedent and that can work directly against activist office holders plans and wishes for years.
Individuals, including individual dealers, clubs, etc, just get hammered into oblivion if they stick their heads above the parapet. Its no wonder that none do. Who's got the hefty $ required to push back against egregious local enforcement that will almost always take years and end up in the supreme court of a state? A national body, drawing funding from members in all states would have that financial clout and a singular purpose in life - stop and/or repeal terrible law.