Category C & D - Queensland - Applications - Occupational

[bah]

Hi shooters,

I know quite a few people are reluctant to discuss the topic, but I believe it would be beneficial for new and seasoned shooters to know a little bit more about how they can contribute to the agricultural industry, assisting farmers and regional shires alike. Yes, this would likely entail giving more shooters the responsibility to engage in conservation efforts that form part of our culturally rich frontier heritage, using semi-automatic centre fire rifles and semi-automatic shotguns, regardless of their appearance and supplied magazine capacities.

I do acknowledge the implications this may have for contract shooters who rely on occupational shooting for a living who do not wish to incite competition in the industry (smalltime operators undercutting government and private contracts and so forth), however the more we can promote gun culture to fit and proper, law abiding people in Australia after its destruction in the late 90s, the better. I do not believe that withholding information and placing artificial barriers within our community is going to facilitate change anytime soon. This apprehensiveness, hostility, fear and lack of trust runs rampant in many of our A, B and H ranges, and unfortunately is most often directed at our new shooters, the future voices of the industry and sport. Constituents with a vested interest in occupational and sporting shooting purposes must increase in number to substantiate our claims and encourage change to occur.

The current laws are draconian, mis-reprented as an effective means of reducing crime in our community by the mainstream media and consistently justified by misleading statistical data sets/interpretations of said data collected and published by left wing tertiary and government institutions. In the past two months alone, ex-criminal, gang affiliated acts of violence on police and civilians using restricted, unregistered firearms by unlicensed, prohibited persons have slipped by unnoticed by the mainstream media. Those who listen to the few reputable news outlets remaining will know these examples are not exhaustive. Lever action shotguns, straight pull rifles and semi automatic .223 pistols have been reclassified in recent years, leaving owners powerless and without a voice when their firearms are seized at the discretion of the oppressive structures that form the nanny state. Unfortunately, this causes shooters to vilify those administrative officials distancing us from polite society. These office are undeserving of this resentment as they are merely doing their jobs; products of their own environments. The law abiding firearms owners in this country are vilified and punished for their vocation and sport which stems back to not only our national identity on the frontier, but also our colonial ties to Great Britain in the tradition of hunting. We all know this and choose to do nothing to ‘change the rules’ so-to-speak. True libertarian values must be afforded to the people of Australia to shift responsibility from the state back onto the individual.

[Patriot]

100% agree mate.
Australians are lazy when it comes to their rights and responsibilities. Most Australians believe we are a rugged anti establishment people, it’s a load of bulls**t. Australians are the most compliant people on the earth, who, on the whole do exactly what they are told, no questions asked. We allow our executive government, and their enforcers, the police, to run ruff shod over us and to tell us what’s best. The executive government will continue to do this until we the people put an end to it and change our system of government. We need a new constitution that sets out a clear separation of powers between the legislature and the executive, and a bill of rights is an absolute must. Queensland is the worst example of executive power in the commonwealth with no upper house, no checks and balances. The executive controls the legislature which means they can do what ever they wish, they make the laws as well as implement and enforce them. A good example was the Campbell Newman Government and the so called bikie laws. Newman’s mob completely defied the rule of law and let the police run rampant, citizens were denied due process and natural justice. Australians are powerless, mere subjects, and will be so forever unless we stand up.

[flutch]

i could sum all that up by saying ALL firearm owners in Australia need to cut out the FUDD behaviour and 100% push for the greatest demands of the gun lobby groups not beg for crumbs. there are more gun owners in Australia than homosexuals (statistically, sure some "groups" would vary but over all) so to think we don't have the ability to effectively lobby against the media and the left wing side of politics is retarded. if we all stood up and made our demands known properly, didnt take no for an answer, used the same tactics that the left and lgbt crowd did, we would have it easy negotiating for things. but instead we spend more time agreeing with the left and FUDDing out other shooters.

[bah]

Couldn’t agree more. There have been many important, long anticipated and long overdue movements that have swept our nation in recent years. Marriage equality being one of many. What we can take away from the marriage equality lobbyists is their ability to remain, on the most part, calm, objective and focussed on the cold hard facts. Many members of their community are also shooters just like us.

We need to overcome the bureaucracy that fuels the dissent amongst our ranks in the firearms community distancing us from the public, we need to form together regardless of the disciplines we shoot in and become a little more ‘in your face’ so to speak. Not distastefully at the expense of losing supporters, but in the interest of re-enforcing and reminding Australians of the rich cultural ties we have to conservation and sporting shooting.

A classic example of the apathy and fear associated with these discussions is the lack of input into this thread. People are happy to complain but never actually action anything to amend the draconian laws that imprison us, even outside of a firearms enthusiast context. I appreciate any of you who actually go ahead and post on this thread, adding value to the conversation and raising/upvoting the post on the site.

[Wapiti]

Yes, but who to all be a part of to bring us all together?

Correct me by all means, but SFFP has openly said it supports the status quo with current firearms laws. I've heard that myself, because living on a farm and watching the dirt blow away weve become very political. For SFFP, very clever politically, especially the air time they get on Sky After Dark.
We thought they would be an alternative for us from the cowardly Nationals, but not as yet. They do support dropping the MD plan, but that's not going to change firearms laws.

SSAA has shown with its deathly silence in the instances of reclassification of lever shotguns, linear rifles, AR15 pistols and import bans on pump rifles that have appearance that scares politicians. So no hope there when lever guns, semi auto pistols or pump rifles are next. Maybe some editorials complained a bit, but we didn't get any SSAA messages to "meet all your fellow members at your local members offices" to demand a retraction of any new restriction.
SSAA has the NFA in their favour, and as long as there is shooting ranges, they will be able to pay salaries to their executives with our membership money. They really won't waste time fighting for firearms that aren't a better mousetrap on paper, steel or clay targets.

We've retreated from clubs, used to be a shoot captain in our local town on a few firearm categories but couldn't stand the "silos" tgat exist. Sure, clubs are great for some but no longer for us.

So which organisation or club to bring everyone together. Shooters Union?
They tried to help a local farmer here, one of many who have had their H and C firearms taken from them by the Labor backed Qld Weapons Licensing fascists. But other than try and rally up funds from city shooters, of which they had no support from (I'm right Jack) , there was little they could do. We gave money, and local personal support, but without a wall of people, there was little else anyone could do.

Cat C or D for those wanting a way to get that class of firearm in the bush by setting up pest control?
Everyone here in central southern Qld and right down through NSW, is struggling to buy toiletries for themselves after buying feed from interstate for their stock. That's if they have water. They won't pay anyone to come out and shoot pigs. With what money?
The local country towns have businesses closing left, right and centre. And the local farmers are having Cat C and H taken off them by the police.

I'd love to know the answer too.

[sungazer]

Gents all very good posts with lots of valid points. I whole hardheartedly agree with you all. However I dont know what the answer is? certainly some sort of unification of shooters needs to occur to address all those issues from current entitlements training through to opposing bans and restrictions and going the extra mile to claw back some of those access rights we had in the past