Australia
Policeman's Loaded Gun Goes Undetected on Flight from Sydney Airport
Sydney Morning Herald / AAP
2 July 2008
An investigation is underway after a NSW police officer managed to board a flight at Sydney airport still carrying his gun. The officer was in full uniform and was on duty when he boarded the flight from Sydney to the Gold Coast yesterday morning, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) said. The officer was detected with the gun at the Gold Coast and travelled back to Sydney with the weapon in the hold. A spokesman... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Gun Lobby Pressure for American-style Laws 'Wrong Path' for Australia
Advertiser (Adelaide), Editorial
30 June 2008
Almost anyone who wants a firearm in Australia can get one. It is possible, and legal, to buy a gun and obtain a licence to use it. While most gun dealers are scrupulously honest, it is also possible to obtain weapons on the black market. One dealer appeared last week in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on charges of possessing illegal gun parts. The case has yet to be heard and the dealer has not entered a plea,... ( gunpolicy.org )
Germany, Switzerland, Italy, United Kingdom, Australia, South Africa
Gun Laws in Germany, Switzerland, Italy, UK, Australia, South Africa
Associated Press
26 June 2008
GERMANY: Requires license to obtain and use firearms and stipulates a check on the "reliability and suitability" of holders at least once every three years. Under-25s must undergo psychological screening. Buyers must justify why they need a gun. Would-be buyers of recreational firearms must produce proof of regular membership in shooting club for at least one year. Legal age for owning recreational firearms is 21. That... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Australian State Premier Enlists Sweetheart Shooters in Power Push
Crikey (Australia), Web Page
19 June 2008
The Iemma Government has put the future of its power privatisation legislation into the hands of its political enemies in the Coalition, and now it is doing dirty deals with the Shooters Party to scrounge the redneck vote. In the NSW Legislative Council today, Shooters MPs Roy Smith and Robert Jones will be pushing their Firearms Amendment Bill which amends the Firearms Act 1996 brought in following Martin Bryant's massacre at Port... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Shooters Party Gets 2-party Support to Relax Australian State's Gun Law
Sydney Morning Herald / AAP
18 June 2008
New gun laws passed in NSW parliament will start unravelling strict measures brought in after the Port Arthur massacre, the NSW Greens say. A bill, passed on Thursday by the upper house, removes the 28-day waiting period for people with a registration waiting for a second or subsequent gun. The Shooters Party-initiated bill also removes the need to register guns made prior to 1900 and introduces more exemptions for people... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Handguns for Children: Shooters Party Wants Law Relaxed in Australia
ABC News (Australia)
17 June 2008
The Shooters Party has defended its push to allow minors as young as 12 to use high-calibre handguns in shooting competitions. The proposal is contained in a draft bill that is before the New South Wales Upper House. Under the current laws, juniors can only use low-calibre firearms in supervised shooting competitions. The National Coalition for Gun Control says the bill aims to drastically water down the state's... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Shooters Party Accused of Vote Deal to Ease Gun Law in Australian State
Sydney Morning Herald
12 June 2008
A proposal to wind back the gun laws enacted by Bob Carr after the Port Arthur massacre will be taken to cabinet by the Police Minister amid accusations the Government is doing a deal with the Shooters Party to win its support in the upper house for key legislation. The police ministry has provided advice to the Shooters MP Roy Smith on drafting a private member's bill he has introduced that would allow people renewing their gun... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Australia's Shooters Party Pushes Bill to Ease NSW State Gun Laws
Sydney Morning Herald
11 June 2008
The Greens have accused the New South Wales Government of courting the Shooters Party to help ease the passage of controversial legislation to ease the state's gun controls. The Bill, introduced to the Upper House by Shooters Party MP Roy Smith, would relax some safeguards and remove the 28-day waiting period for people with a registration waiting for a second gun. Mr Smith says he expects State Government support, given... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Gun Group Targets 11-18 Year-old Australian Youth to Become Shooters
ABC News, Wide Bay (Bundaberg), Transcript
11 June 2008
David Dowsett: A division of the Sporting Shooters' Association of Australia has published The Junior Shooter. The junior shooting magazine to their parent magazine Australia Shooter has resulted in a fair amount of anger from those representing the anti-gun lobby. While the Sporting Shooters' Association says that shooting and hunting are challenging, exciting and also safe disciplines with a wide variety of competitions, the anti-gun voices... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Gun Group Targets Young Australian Shooters, Uses 'Sexualised Photos'
ABC News, Wide Bay (Bundaberg), Transcript
11 June 2008
David Dowsett: Well, Roland Brown is Chair of the National Coalition for Gun Control, so what does he make of the magazine? Roland, good morning. Roland Brown: Good morning, David, how are you? David Dowsett: Good thanks, Roland, what are your thoughts on this magazine for junior shooters, is it a bit of a concern for you? Roland Brown: It's a concern for me for a couple of reasons. I want to talk about some of... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
84yr-old Australian Licensed Gun Dealer in 'Gun Trafficking Ring' - Police
ABC News (Australia)
30 May 2008
An 84-year-old registered gun dealer at the centre of an alleged gun trafficking ring in central western New South Wales has been refused bail. Norman Whybrow was one of five men arrested when police raided six businesses and homes in Forbes and Peak Hill on Wednesday. They seized almost 400 guns, tens of thousands of rounds of ammunition and other weapons, including illegal high-powered slingshots and silencers. Officers... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Licensed Gun Dealer Arrested, 300 Firearms Seized in Australian Raids
Sydney Morning Herald
28 May 2008
Police say they have seized hundreds of firearms and 20,000 rounds of ammunition during raids on a licensed gun dealer and homes in the Central West region of NSW. Ballistics officers, detectives and dog unit officers this morning raided an arms dealer operating from a home in Forbes along with four other residences in the town and another home at Peak Hill. At one of the houses, police arrested an 84-year-old man who is... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
84yr-old Australian Gun Shop Owner Arrested, Hundreds of Firearms Seized
Australian (Sydney)
27 May 2008
A gang of alleged illegal firearms dealers, including an elderly gun shop owner, has been busted after the seizure of hundreds of weapons in a series of raids in central western NSW, police say. Five people were arrested today, including an 84-year-old licensed gun dealer from Forbes, in five raids in the town and one in nearby Peak Hill. Police said they seized more than 300 firearms, at least 200,000 rounds of ammunition... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Tasmanian Shooters Lock Up Firearms, Leave Keys, Thieves Take Guns
Hobart Mercury (Tasmania)
27 May 2008
An arsenal of guns has fallen into criminal hands after two brazen robberies at homes in Hobart's northern suburbs. The cunning thieves stole 18 target rifles, hunting rifles and shotguns worth more than $16,500 during recent robberies in Glenorchy and Claremont. In each robbery the thieves ransacked the homes and located keys which enabled them to unlock well-secured gun safes and steal firearms. They also searched... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Avid Australian Gun Collector, Explosives Enthusiast Dies in Blast
Sunday Telegraph (Sydney)
25 May 2008
A prominent Sydney scientist killed in a mysterious explosion at his semi-rural property was an avid gun collector and champion shooter. Dr Lionel Lowe, 67, was sitting on a ride-on mower at the rear of his Mitchell Rd, Dural property at the time of the blast at 4.30pm last Monday. Neighbours have told how their homes "shook" from the force of the explosion. "There was one loud explosion and the house shook," one neighbour,... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Renewed Growth in Australian Gun Numbers Must Be Tackled Urgently
Sunday Times (Western Australia), Editorial
25 May 2008
If there was anything positive to emerge from the tragedy of the Port Arthur massacre it was that our nation was forced to seriously confront for the first time the issue of gun control. The action that followed was swift with the introduction of tougher national gun laws and a buyback scheme. Understandably, given the atrocities committed by lone gunman Martin Bryant, there was widespread community support for these measures.... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Western Australia Now Has More Guns Than Before Port Arthur Massacre
Sunday Times (Western Australia)
25 May 2008
WA has more guns now than before the 1996 Port Arthur massacre -- a reversal of a near decade-long downward trend in weapon ownership. The jump coincides with a scathing national report, which found many firearms owners were failing to properly store them, including high-powered weapons left unlocked in cases, cars and cupboards. Inadequate security was to blame for more than half the gun thefts in Australia. Also,... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Australia's Victoria Police May Buy Safer, New Generation Semi-auto Pistols
Age (Melbourne), Opinion
19 May 2008
Iit is no secret that I have had reservations about introducing semi-automatic weapons into Victoria Police. What is being lost in the debate are the reasons for my long-held concerns. To suggest that I am anti-guns could not be further from the truth. Firearms are necessary for police to carry out their duties. But they are always the last resort. Quite rightly the community expects police to be very cautious in any changes we... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Police Union Pushes to Rearm Australia's Final Force with Semi-auto Pistols
Age (Melbourne) / AAP
15 May 2008
Police Association secretary Paul Mullett says Victoria Police is "pontificating" over a "no-brainer" decision over whether to introduce semi-automatic weapons. Mr Mullett said there was a history of evidence that strongly supports moving to semi-automatics. The wounding of Senior Constable David McHenry, 27, during a shoot-out on Tuesday night has renewed union calls for Victorian police to be armed with semi-automatic... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Last Australian State Under Pressure to Arm Police with Semi-auto Pistols
Age (Melbourne)
14 May 2008
An expert committee has recommended that police be rearmed with new multiple-shot semi-automatic pistols -- despite Chief Commissioner Christine Nixon's public reluctance to authorise the weapons upgrade. The controversy over police firearms resurfaced yesterday after the Police Association claimed the policeman injured during a fatal gun battle in South Melbourne was trying to reload his six-shot revolver when hit. Senior... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Aussie Cop Swapped Stolen Service Pistol for Surfboards, Say Police
Courier-Mail (Brisbane)
7 May 2008
A Gold Coast police officer allegedly stole a service pistol and swapped it with a drug trafficker for two surfboards, a court was told yesterday. The Glock .22 handgun later ended up in NSW in the hands of an alleged illegal arms dealer, Southport Magistrate's Court was told. Senior Constable Christopher Curtin faced a committal hearing at the court yesterday, charged with stealing with circumstances of aggravation because... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Do Cops Really Need 18-shot Pistols, Asks Australian State Police Chief
Herald Sun (Melbourne)
7 May 2008
Victoria police Chief Commissioner Christine Nixon has questioned whether her force really needs semi-automatic Glock pistols that fire 18 shots. Victoria's Police Association union assistant secretary Bruce McKenzie said yesterday that the State Government had failed to keep its pre-election promise by not providing funds in its budget for the police to have Taser stun guns and semi-automatic weapons. Ms Nixon said today... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Australia's Tightened Gun Laws Had Little Effect, Say Two Gun Lobbyists
Time.com / Online edition only, Web Page
1 May 2008
On the afternoon of April 28, 1996, Martin Bryant snapped. A striking figure with his long blond hair and milky skin, he had just eaten lunch at a café within the historic site of Port Arthur, a former prison in Australia's island state of Tasmania. Described later by his sentencing judge as a "pathetic social misfit," the 28-year-old then reached into his sports bag and, in the manner that others might pull out a sweater, withdrew two... ( gunpolicy.org )
World, United States, France, Canada, Germany, Angola, Thailand, Australia, Colombia, South Africa, Turkey, Pakistan, Russia, Brazil, United Kingdom, India, China
Guns Around the World: Civilian Firearms per 100 People in 16 Nations
Economist
30 April 2008
An estimated 875m small arms are in circulation worldwide: one for every seven people on the planet. Nearly three-quarters of these are owned by civilians. And about 80% of those guns in civilian hands are found in just 30 countries, according to the Small Arms Survey, a research group. Although America accounts for 40% of firearms in civilian ownership, people put them to more deadly use elsewhere. The gun murder rate in Colombia... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Australian Million-rounds-a-minute Gun May Need a War to Get Going
Sydney Morning Herald
26 April 2008
The wannabe ballistics concern Metal Storm still appears to be holding out for the day when people will get serious about packing more fast-firing grenade launchers and M16s. In the eight years since the company listed, the market has failed to recognise the allure of Metal Storm's three-shot grenade launcher and "high explosive, enhance blast and airburst" 40 millimetre munition technology. Sadly, as a consequence, Metal... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Australian Gun Control Laws Did, Did Not Reduce Firearm Homicide, Suicide
ABC Radio (Australia) / PM, Transcript
21 April 2008
LISA MILLAR: The former prime minister, John Howard, recently told an American audience that one of his proudest achievements in office was introducing tougher gun laws after the 1996 Port Arthur massacre. But a new study by researchers from the University of Sydney claims the previous federal government's gun control laws have done nothing to reduce firearm deaths in Australia. Gun control advocates though, disagree. Michael... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
South Australian Police to Get 2000 New Semi-auto Smith & Wesson Pistols
Advertiser (Adelaide)
21 April 2008
South Australia's 2000 frontline police officers will be armed with semi-automatic handguns from June. The state-of-the-art Smith & Wesson M&P (military and police) 40 calibre pistols will be issued to selected officers before being introduced to all patrol and operation police. The trial is not expected to exceed three months, then the semi-automatic pistol will replace the ageing .357 Smith & Wesson revolver as the standard... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Wife, Police Wonder If Australian Hiker Was Shot, Hidden by Deer Hunter
Age (Melbourne)
20 April 2008
The wife of missing hiker Warren Meyer fears he may have been accidentally shot by a deer hunter in the Yarra Ranges National Park and his death covered up. Zee Meyer said local residents had told her deer hunters were active in the remote bushland where her husband disappeared a month ago and there was evidence shots had been fired in the national park on the Easter weekend when her husband vanished. Alexandra CIU Detective... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Australian State Bans 'Military Style' H&K Rifles Convertible to Semi-auto Fire
Herald Sun (Melbourne)
15 April 2008
Guns that can be easily modified to become lethal semi-automatics will be banned under laws to go before State Parliament today. Ministers believe some military-style weapons are being "detuned" abroad to beat import laws -- then converted back on arrival here. Police Chief Commissioner Christine Nixon will get the power to declare such guns as category D and E, for use by the military and police only. The State... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Australian Capital Territory Pledges 5-20 Years' Jail for Illegal Gun Owners
ABC News (Australia)
10 April 2008
Gun laws in the ACT are to be strengthened to crackdown on the flow of guns to criminals. The ACT Government has tabled a bill in the Legislative Assembly to increase penalties for firearms offences and to make it harder to obtain a gun licence. Police Minister Simon Corbell says the Territory will fall into line with a national agreement on gun laws. "Making sure that firearms dealers aren't able to employ people... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Australian Soldier Shot Four Relatives Dead, Got 15yrs in Secure Hospital
Sydney Morning Herald / Reuters
10 April 2008
A former soldier who shot dead four members of his family before walking into a police station with a bag of weapons and a homemade bomb was detained on Wednesday for a minimum of 15 years, police said. David Bradley, 41, will serve his sentence in a secure hospital after admitting manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility at Newcastle Crown Court. He shot his uncle, aunt and two cousins through the head... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Lesbians Accuse Australian Pro-Gun Activist Ron Owen of Vilifying Gays
Courier-Mail (Brisbane)
1 April 2008
Controversial gun lobbyist Ron Owen is being taken to court by a group of lesbians who allege he has breached the Anti-Discrimination Act by publicly vilifying gay people. The case, set for hearing from Thursday, could have landmark repercussions based on Mr Owen's use of the Bible, the Koran and the Jewish Torah for his defence, along with a "freedom of speech" defence. The case is being brought by Rachelle Menzies, Tina... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Australian Gun Shop Owner, Dealer Jailed for Illegally Trafficking Handguns
Australian Associated Press
17 March 2008
A former gun shop owner has been jailed for illegally trafficking weapons. Philip John Iselin, 61, pleaded guilty today in the Supreme Court in Brisbane to one count each of trafficking in weapons, possessing weapons and receiving stolen property with a circumstance of aggravation. The court was told Iselin, who owned a Brisbane gun shop for 10 years before weapons laws were tightened, illegally sold 11 pistols between... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Gun Homicide, Gun Theft 'Declined Dramatically' After Australian Gun Laws
Age (Melbourne)
8 March 2008
Victorian police are planning a crackdown on gun owners. They are set to check whether 18,000 of the state's registered gun owners have stored their firearms properly. The crackdown comes as gun-related murders and gun theft have declined dramatically since the gun-law reforms after the 1996 Port Arthur massacre. New research by the Australian Institute of Criminology shows that the theft of firearms has dropped 72% since... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
South Australian Gun Laws Tightened to Curb Armed Gang Violence
ABC News (Australia)
5 March 2008
South Australian police will be given more powers to act against people possessing illegal firearms under new laws announced by the State Government. The legislation is targeted at bikie gangs and violent gun crimes, such as a shooting last year at an Adelaide nightclub. Under the laws, police will have the power to put prohibition orders on people who use unlicensed firearms. A person subject to such an order... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Australian Gun Lobby Gave $458,266 Election Gift to NSW Shooters' Party
Sydney Morning Herald
3 March 2008
The Shooters Party's newest MP, Roy Smith, was executive officer of the Sporting Shooters' Association when the organisation donated $458,266 to the party before the last election. The revelation, in state electoral returns for the past four years, comes as Mr Smith's colleague Robert Brown prepares to sit on a parliamentary inquiry on political donations which is set to sit today. The Government last year voted against... ( gunpolicy.org )
Yemen, Somalia, Australia, Denmark
Australians, Dane Among Gang Smuggling Guns from Yemen to Somalia
Yemen Times
2 March 2008
SANA'A -- Two men, Abdi Othman Soli, 28, a Danish citizen of Somali origin, and Abdullah Awadh Al-Masri, 37, a Yemeni national, were found not guilty this week of smuggling weapons to Somalia in 2006. However, the court gave Al-Masri a three-year prison sentence for other charges such as working with and providing shelter for Al-Qaeda operatives and illegal weapons trading. Among other accusations, the two suspects were tried for... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Proposed Fee Hike to Drive Some Australian Gun Dealers Out of Business
Advertiser (Adelaide)
28 February 2008
Eighty per cent of Central Victoria gun dealers will be driven out of business and attempts by farmers to control vermin will be undermined if recommendations of a licence fee increase are accepted, dealers claim. The Regulatory Impact Statement is part of a State Government draft proposal on changes to firearm regulations recommending lowering some licence fees including rifles by 11 per cent, professional hand guns by 17 per cent,... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Australian Greens Urge Handgun Ban in Wake of US Campus Shooting
Sydney Morning Herald / AAP
15 February 2008
Australian Greens leader Bob Brown has called for tougher handgun laws after a university shooting in the US. Australia needs tougher controls to prevent a massacre-in-waiting, he warned. He was commenting after five people, including the gunman, were reportedly killed and a total of 17 people were shot at a suburban Chicago university. Senator Brown said early reports suggested a handgun and a long gun were used.... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Australian Firearm Buffs, Animal Liberationists Trade Insults at Big Gun Show
Herald Sun (Melbourne)
14 February 2008
There are two kinds of triggers -- the sort that make guns go bang and the emotional kind that ignite volatile and angry reactions. In Wodonga, where 10,000 gun buffs and a noisy handful of their critics turned out last weekend for what was billed as the southern hemisphere's largest hunting expo, both kinds of triggers were pulled over and over again. When the Sport and Leisure Centre was empty, the exhibitors were gone... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Illegal Gun Crackdown, Firearm Theft Prevention Mooted for South Australia
ABC News (Australia)
12 February 2008
The South Australian Opposition has called on the Government to crack down on the number of illegal weapons in the state. The Opposition's police spokesman, David Ridgway, says that criminology data shows about 200 guns were stolen in the state in the year to June 2006. Only 3 per cent of those weapons were recovered by police. While it is not known whether a stolen weapon was used in an apparently bikie-related... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Aussie Gun Collector, Porn Dealer Illegally Sold 24 Guns, Submachine Gun
Advertiser (Adelaide)
10 February 2008
Criminals will laugh at the "grossly inadequate" sentence imposed on an Adelaide porn dealer who sold guns to the Melbourne underworld, a court has heard. Director of Public Prosecutions Stephen Pallaras, QC, today said William Nash should serve more time for selling a police-issue sub-machine gun to the Condello family. He told the Court of Criminal Appeal mobsters and gangsters would "be watching" Nash's six-month sentence... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Tough Anti-gang Gun Laws 'No Threat' to South Australian Firearm Owners
Sunday Mail (Adelaide)
10 February 2008
Changes to South Australia's gun laws aimed squarely at bikie gang members will go before Cabinet tomorrow for a second time. The amendments to the Firearms Act, which were announced in June, have been designed to close loopholes being exploited by gang members when they are caught with handguns. There have been several examples of high-profile gang members escaping conviction after being charged with possession of handguns... ( gunpolicy.org )
India, Australia
17yr-old Australian Girl Dies in India, Shot by Jilted Stalker Turned Rapist
Sydney Morning Herald
5 February 2008
Anandalila "Lila" Slater, the Australian teenager who was raped and shot by a stalker in India three days ago, has died surrounded by her family and friends in India. She died of heart failure resulting from her injuries about 2.15am (7.45am AEDT) in the Indian holy city of Vrindavan, where she had been brought after doctors said they could not remove the bullet that had lodged in her brain. "[The family] was hoping to... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Australian Cop Allegedly Stole Police Glock, Swapped Pistol for Surfboards
Courier-Mail (Brisbane)
4 February 2008
A Gold Coast policeman who allegedly stole a police handgun and swapped it for surfboards has been charged and stood down from duty. Senior Constable Christopher Curtin is accused of stealing the Glock pistol from a gun safe at the Surfers Paradise police station in March 2001. Police internal investigators allegedly found two surfboards at his Gold Coast hinterland home last month. Curtin appeared in Southport... ( gunpolicy.org )
India, Australia
Indian Stalker Shoots 17yr-old Australian Girl near Agra, Then Kills Himself
Sydney Morning Herald
3 February 2008
NEW DELHI -- The Indian gunman had been stalking Lila for years. Several days ago, her mother says, he sexually assaulted the 17-year-old Australian at gunpoint in the family home in the Hindu pilgrimage town of Vrindavan in the state of Uttar Pradesh. He returned in the early hours of Saturday and threatened family members with his pistol. Then he confronted Anandalila "Lila" Salter and shot her three times before shooting himself... ( gunpolicy.org )
India, Australia
Jilted Indian Man Uses Dad's Handgun to Shoot 17yr-old Australian Girl
Telegraph (Calcutta)
2 February 2008
LUCKNOW -- A jilted young man, still in love with an Australian devotee of Krishna, shot and critically injured her in the land of leela and then blew his head off after an early-morning showdown today. Police said Saurav Singh burst into 26-year-old Anna Leela Judy's Vrindavan flat, accused her of "playing" with his life and then fired at her from a revolver. "We have studied the cellphone records of both Leela and Saurav.... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Australian Gun Dealer Caught With 380 Unregistered Firearms - 1000 Seized
Sydney Morning Herald
1 January 2008
A World War II machine-gun and tank mortar, crossbows, semi-automatic weapons and fireworks are among a cache of 380 unregistered firearms uncovered during a two-day search of a 100-hectare property at Peel, near Bathurst, police revealed yesterday. As part of the operation, which involved more than 30 officers from several crime commands and special operations teams, police seized 604 guns from a dealership in Bathurst and suspended... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
1000 Weapons, Machine Guns Taken from Licensed Australian Gun Dealer
Herald Sun (Melbourne)
31 December 2007
Police have seized almost 1000 firearms and other weapons in raids on a gun dealership and a rural property in Bathurst, New South Wales, as police investigate a gun dealer over an alleged domestic violence incident. The guns were seized on Friday as police executed a search warrant. It is believed police applied for the warrant because the 59-year-old firearm dealer was the subject of a domestic violence report on Thursday. ... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Universal Gun Registration in Australia Brings Sharp Decrease in Gun Thefts
Herald Sun (Melbourne) / AAP
24 December 2007
The latest figures show about 1500 guns a year are stolen in Australia, and authorities fear many of them will be used to commit more crimes. The Australian Institute of Criminology also revealed that about one-third of gun owners who were victims of theft in the year to June 2006 had failed to store their guns securely. In a new report, Firearms Theft in Australia 2005-06, the federal agency said 1445 firearms were stolen... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Some Australian Farmers Angry About Proposed Handgun Ban
ABC News (Australia)
19 December 2007
The WA Farmers Federation is concerned that stricter gun regulation could disadvantage farmers. The police service is reviewing the state's Firearms Act and is calling for public submissions by the end of the week. The Federation's Chief Executive Officer Doug Parker says farmers have been granted an extension on the submission period, until the end of January. He says guns are an important tool for farmers and... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia, United States
Australians Like American Culture, But 85% Disapprove of Lax US Gun Laws
Reuters
10 December 2007
CANBERRA -- Australians overwhelmingly like American culture, arts and freedoms, but have growing concerns about the country's lack of gun control and social equality, a survey released on Monday said. The report by the respected United States Studies Centre at Sydney University found that while Australians had become more knowledgeable about the U.S. they were losing faith in policy makers' ability to tackle social and economic... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Australian Police Seize Licensed Owner's 'Arsenal' in Gun Smuggling Raid
Australian Associated Press
14 November 2007
A large cache of weapons and ammunition has been seized by police in a raid on a Gold Coast home today. Australian Customs investigators and police found 35 legally-held military firearms, three unregistered bolt-action rifles, one military SLR assault rifle, a Skorpion machine pistol, a crossbow pistol and a "substantial amount" of ammunition. All the weapons were being incorrectly stored in a garage at the unit complex,... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
In Light of Finnish, US Shootings, Australian PM's Gun Ban Was a Godsend
Gold Coast News (Queensland), Editorial
9 November 2007
Prime Minister John Howard understood perfectly, back in 1996, why Australia had to ban guns from most households. With the grief of the Port Arthur massacre still washing through the nation, the PM seized the opportunity to take firearms away from those who didn't really need them. His legislation cost Australia more than $500 million in a guns buy-back scheme and resulted in more than 650,000 weapons being taken out of the hands... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Australian Psychiatrist Caught Taking Gun Into Court 'Feared Former Wife'
Age (Melbourne)
24 October 2007
A Prahran psychiatrist built up a cache of weapons including two guns, an electric cattle prod and a speargun at his home because he feared he and his wife were going to be killed, a court has heard. Police found the weapons at Dr Jerry Gelb's former Armadale home after the 49-year-old tried to take an unregistered .22 Ruger pistol and 49 rounds of ammunition into the Melbourne Magistrates Court in February, the County Court heard... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Aussie Serial Killer's Sister-in-law Runs for Senator on Pro-gun Platform
Courier-Mail (Brisbane)
23 October 2007
Serial killer Ivan Milat's sister-in-law is running on a Senate ticket of relaxing gun laws and claimed the psychopath's horrendous crimes were water under the bridge. Ms Milat who married the jailed serial killer's brother Walter, is one of 35 candidates running for the Liberty and Democracy Party -- a party which supports nuclear power, lower taxes, euthanasia and opposes criminalising victimless crime. Ms Milat, who... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Scaled-down Belt Buckle 'Gun' Sparks Police Emergency in Australian Bank
Advertiser (Adelaide)
19 October 2007
A man entered a city bank branch with a belt buckle shaped like a small handgun today sparking a large-scale security alert involving armed police. Amid fears a gunman was on the loose, 15 STAR Group officers cornered the alleged offender as he exited the Adelaide Bank building lift about 11.30am. A female employee in the building had alerted management to the man after she saw "a handgun" tucked down his pants as they... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Prosecutions Boss Suggests Banning All Guns in South Australia
Australian Associated Press
16 October 2007
South Australia's outspoken Director of Public Prosecutions has stirred further controversy by proposing a blanket ban on private gun ownership. Stephen Pallaras QC yesterday acknowledged that this would spell the end of gun clubs and other sporting shooting groups but said it was in the interest of public safety. He flagged the ban as police stepped up the investigation into a weekend shooting outside an Adelaide nightclub... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
South Australia Rejects 'Unrealistic' Total Ban on Gun Ownership
Herald Sun (Melbourne) / AAP
16 October 2007
The South Australian Government has rejected calls for a total ban on gun ownership across the state. Police Minister Paul Holloway and Attorney-General Michael Atkinson said a total ban would disadvantage sporting shooters and farmers. They said the Government had already increased penalties for illegal gun use and gun-related crime was not on the rise. Yesterday Director of Public Prosecutions Stephen Pallaras... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Adelaide Shootings: South Australia's Public Prosecutor Mulls Total Gun Ban
Brisbane Times / AAP
15 October 2007
A total ban on guns in South Australia has been suggested by the state's top prosecutor after a weekend shooting, and reports of shots being fired in Adelaide's retail district. As police continued to investigate both incidents, and a man remains in hospital in a critical condition, Director of Public Prosecutions Stephen Pallaras conceded a total prohibition on all firearms was an optimistic aim. "I'm reluctant to totally... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Australian Dad Leaves Gun Loaded, 5yr-old Boy Shoots 7yr-old Sister
Sun-Herald (Sydney)
14 October 2007
A policeman drove an ambulance as medics worked to save the life of a seven-year-old girl shot by her little brother on a remote farm. The girl was shot through the chest by her five-year-old brother at the property outside Bonshaw, on the NSW side of the Queesland border. She was airlifted to the Mater Children's Hospital in Brisbane where she was in a serious but stable condition last night. Police said the girl... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Sydney Family Loses State Home After Automatic Rifles, Handguns Found
Sun-Herald (Sydney)
7 October 2007
A mother-of-eight evicted from her Department of Housing home because it was used to store firearms and drugs is demanding taxpayers foot the bill for new accommodation. Hanna El Husseini and husband Mohamed, a convicted criminal, are planning Supreme Court action to force the State Government to re-house them after they were booted out of their four-bedroom Panania town house. They claim the weapons and drugs that police... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Guns Taken from Licensed Firearm Owners Fuel Armed Crime in Australia
Daily Telegraph (Sydney)
1 October 2007
In just 48 hours on Sydney's streets three teenagers were stabbed with a screwdriver, an elderly woman was threatened with a gun and a man carjacked. The weekend of violence has come as The Daily Telegraph can reveal more than 10 guns a week are falling into the hands of criminals. In a frightening indication of how criminals are arming themselves, NSW is just 11 guns away from equalling the total number reported stolen... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Australia Loses 32 Military Machine Guns, Rifles, Pistols: Tightens Security
New Zealand Herald / AAP
26 September 2007
CANBERRA -- The Australian Defence Force has tightened up weapons storage after it was found that anti-tank rocket launchers and other weaponry had been stolen and lost. Among the changes will be a two-person policy, prohibiting unsupervised access by any soldier to any Defence weapons, explosive and munitions store. Defence also will create a special weapons and munitions security section within the Defence Security Agency... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Australian Defence Force Tightens Weapon Security After Thefts, Losses
Canberra Times
25 September 2007
The military will introduce tighter controls on its weapons, munitions and explosives stores to stop things going missing. Defence Minister Brendan Nelson said yesterday that he had accepted all recommendations of an audit into the stores' security policies and practices. He issued the report's key recommendations yesterday, but his office will not be issuing the full report for security reasons. The audit recommended... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Australia Tightens Security After 32 Military Guns, Small Arms Found Missing
Courier-Mail (Brisbane) / AAP
25 September 2007
Defence has moved to significantly tighten its weapon storage after it was found that military weapons, including anti-tank rocket launchers, have gone missing. Defence Minister Brendan Nelson said an audit of defences security practices applying to weapons, munitions and explosives found there had been significant improvements since 2000 but more could be done. Among the new initiatives will be the creation of a specialist... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Packaging Mistake Sees Australian Army Trainees Shot At With Live Ammo
Daily Telegraph (Sydney)
25 September 2007
Trainees at the army's Singleton Barracks found themselves facing live bullets instead of blanks, the Australian Defence Force has revealed. It was one of several weapons blunders in the past seven years. In one, a live grenade left behind by a soldier was found by a civilian contractor in a pavilion at the RNA Showgrounds in Brisbane. A training platoon was on exercises at the School of Infantry in Singleton in... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Stolen Army Rocket Launchers Trigger Australian Military Security Overhaul
Australian (Sydney)
25 September 2007
A mandatory "two person" policy to prevent unsupervised access to defence munitions is to be introduced as part of a sweeping overhaul of security procedures following the theft of 10 army rocket launchers. Defence Minister Brendan Nelson has warned that he will check to see all the recommendations of a defence audit to tighten security for weapons, munitions and explosives are implemented. The audit, a copy of which has... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Australian Gun Dealer Loses 'Significant' Number of Rifles, Handgun in Theft
Brisbane Times (Queensland) / AAP
23 September 2007
Firearms and cash have been stolen from a gun shop west of Brisbane. A significant number of rifles and a pistol were stolen from the business in Brisbane Street, Ipswich, police said. The robbery occurred between 1.40pm Saturday and 8.10am yesterday. It is believed the offenders turned off an alarm in the shop and entered through the roof, police said. The offenders also removed the hard drive from a... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Early Use of Guns by Australian Children 'Not the Harbinger of Apocalypse'
ABC News (Australia), Opinion
21 September 2007
Tasmania firearms legislation may soon be brought in line with other Australian states by allowing monitored firearms use by junior permit holders from 12 onwards. The increasingly shrill voice of the anti-gun lobby tells us this will put a gun in the hand of every child, and cries of 'God Bless Aus-merica' on every lip. Questions of whether Tasmanian laws should reflect other states' legislation have been obscured by a... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Australian Federal Govt Should Force States to Honour 'Kids & Guns' Pledge
ABC News Online (Australia), Opinion
18 September 2007
In 1996 the Commonwealth and the States and Territories decided upon a response to the mass shooting at Port Arthur in Tasmania. In that shooting 35 people were murdered and 18 people grievously injured by a young man using two high powered semi-automatic rifles. Australia was stunned by the lethal capacity of these weapons in the hands of a civilian. The response was swift. Led by Prime Minister John Howard, only... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Tasmanian Gun Lobby, Politicians Push to Allow 12-Year-Olds to Use Guns
Age (Melbourne) / AAP
11 September 2007
Tasmania's Premier Paul Lennon says his government will consider a parliamentary report recommending that children as young as 12 be allowed to use firearms under adult supervision. The Community Development Committee (CDC) is due to report to state parliament next month. Confidential details of a recommendation to lower the age limit and allow children to shoot in the bush have been leaked to the media. Tasmania's... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Tasmania Should Reject Any Weakening of Gun Laws, No Matter How Minor
Hobart Mercury (Tasmania), Editorial
11 September 2007
Members of parliament should reject any weakening of state gun laws, no matter how minor. A parliamentary committee has recommended the laws be amended to allow children aged between 12 and 16 to shoot in the bush as long as they are under approved supervision. Apart from the fact that such a regulation would be almost impossible to police or enforce, changing the legislation would send a message that politicians have relaxed... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Firearm Lobby Pushing US-style Youth Gun Culture in Australia, Says Group
ABC News (Australia)
10 September 2007
The National Coaltition for Gun Control has criticised moves to water down gun laws in Tasmania. It has been reported that a parliamentary committee has recommended the legal age for children to use firearms in the bush be lowered. The coalition's Roland Browne says it is a retrograde step. He says firearms' manufacturers have saturated the adult market and are now pushing guns onto children. "It's just... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Tasmania Mulls Lowering Age for Gun Use, Encouraging Children to Shoot
ABC News (Australia)
10 September 2007
The Tasmanian Premier, Paul Lennon, has not ruled out lowering the legal age for children using guns in the bush. A joint parliamentary committee looking into the state's gun laws has recommended that children as young as fourteen be allowed to use firearms, as long as they are supervised by an adult. The Premier says the report will be considered. "It's proper for parliamentary committees to look at these sort... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Tasmanian Gun Lobby 'Getting What it Wants' Again, Even After Port Arthur
Hobart Mercury (Tasmania)
10 September 2007
A parliamentary committee has recommended watering down Tasmania's tough gun laws to allow younger children to shoot in the bush. National Coalition for Gun Control co-chair Roland Browne yesterday said the "unsafe" move would put guns in the hands of troubled youth. "We should not be arming our kids," he said. "This is a step in the wrong direction and is going to encourage and entrench an American gun culture."... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Australia
Gun Obsession, Home Arsenal All a Part of the American Dream
Courier Mail (Queensland)
7 September 2007
Mum, dad and the kids just love a machinegun on the couch or an assault rifle in kitchen. For some, a home arsenal is all part of the American dream. These proud gun-toting US citizens have posed with their high-powered weapons for a new book, Armed America. In his book US photographer Kyle Cassidy shows how embedded guns are in the US culture. The US obsession means there are now nine guns for every 10 Americans... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia, Iran, Ireland, World
Unbiased Global Gun Assessment - Small Arms Survey a Scholarly Attempt
Newcastle Herald (Australia)
3 September 2007
You are more likely to be shot on the streets of Newcastle than in any city in Iran. Brief pause while we consider the probable falsehood of that statement. Nonetheless, statistically, it's true. Sort of. For every 100 people in Australia, there are 15 guns. For every 100 people in Iran, there are five. So, if there are fewer guns in Iran, there's less chance of being shot there, right? Well,... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Australian Police Seize 600 Guns, .50cal Sniper Rifle from Licensed Dealer
Advertiser (Adelaide)
2 September 2007
A cache of more than 600 guns has been seized from the premises of an Adelaide gunsmith. The weapons include an array of hangduns, shotguns and rifles -- including a rare .50 calibre military sniper rifle which has a range of about 6km. They were seized last month after the police Firearms Branch audited Custom Gunsmiths at Ridleyton. The business is owned by Larry Chiera, who is known to police and the SA firearms... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Australian Sporting Shooters Turn Recruiters to Keep Young Guns Firing
Age (Melbourne)
2 September 2007
Children as young as 12 are increasingly taking up shooting in their spare time in response to a push by gun clubs to attract junior members. The Sporting Shooters' Association of Australia, which already promotes "come and try" days at rifle ranges to families with young children, will this month launch its "sign up a junior" campaign. Members of the association, the largest sporting shooters' group in Australia, have... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Australia Ranks Low in World Gun Ownership Following Buybacks: Survey
ABC News (Australia) / AFP / Reuters
29 August 2007
Australia has one of the lowest rates of gun ownership in the world, according to the annual Small Arms Survey, released in Europe overnight. The independent research project, based at the Graduate School of International Studies in Geneva, catalogues weapons production, stockpiles and illicit arms transfers. In recent decades the Government has tried to reduce civilian gun ownership, notably through a weapons buyback scheme... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Australia Denies Steyr Army Rifle, 'Tupperware Gun' Unreliability Claims
Sydney Morning Herald
28 August 2007
The Defence Force has rejected claims that Australian soldiers are being forced to fight using faulty weapons. A report on television last night claimed there had been widespread problems for at least a year with weapons and ammunition used by the force. According to the report, up to 70,000 of the standard issue 5.56mm Steyr rifles had flaws, including situations in which the weapon could not be properly loaded. But... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Australian PM Denies Any Faults With 'Problem' Steyr Army Assault Rifles
Sydney Morning Herald
27 August 2007
Prime Minister John Howard has denied there are systemic weaknesses or faults with the weapons issued to Australian troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Documents obtained by the Seven Network have revealed Steyr rifles used by Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel have had persistent problems with locking, jamming, misfiring and faulty springs. Commanders had recommended that Special Air Service troops stop using... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Australian State Govt Ready to Restrict Gun Shops, Minister Tells Councils
Sydney Morning Herald
23 August 2007
The Minister for Planning, Frank Sartor, says he is willing to consider reclassifying gun shops as restricted premises, making it harder for them to receive planning approval from councils. His comments follow outrage by Roseville residents after Ku-ring-gai Council said it was unable to prevent a planned gun shop from opening on Babbage Road opposite a child-care centre. "If councils come to me with a proposal to introduce... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Planning Minister Would Support Ban on Gun Shops Near Australian Schools
Australian Associated Press
22 August 2007
The NSW government says it will support any local government that moves to outlaw gun shops being opened in the vicinity of schools. But after residents of a Sydney suburb on Wednesday made known their anger at plans for a sporting gun shop opposite a pre-school, Planning Minister Frank Sartor ruled out a statewide ban, saying it remained a local council issue. Ku-ring-gai Council has granted approval for a Roseville Chase... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Sydney Suburb Up in Arms Over Approval for Gun Shop Opposite Preschool
Sydney Morning Herald
22 August 2007
Up in arms would accurately describe the incensed reaction of Roseville residents to news that a gunshop is to open in their midst. Last night hundreds were expected to pack a community hall to protest against the approval granted by Ku-ring-gai Council, apparently without notification to those who may have an opinion about such an enterprise. Andrew Peter, a gun enthusiast and coffee shop owner from Bondi Junction, made... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Australia Targets 'Surging' Illegal Gun Trade, Smuggling by Criminal Gangs
Age (Melbourne)
12 August 2007
The Australian Crime Commission has launched a special intelligence operation to crack down on a surging illegal firearms market. Bikie gangs are believed to be behind a sophisticated network smuggling illegal automatic and semi-automatic weapons. It is suspected there are as many as 20,000 illegal handguns in Australia. New handguns fetch up to $5000 and machine-guns more than $10,000 on the black market, with... ( gunpolicy.org )
Italy, Australia
Italian Wedding Prank Misfires as Australian Woman Takes Shotgun Blast
Northern Star (New South Wales)
9 August 2007
When Modanville woman Carolyn Daniell attended the wedding of a Northern Rivers couple in Italy last weekend, little did she know she'd be gunned down and taken to hospital. It was a case of a practical joke going horribly wrong at the wedding of The Channon couple Daniella Ferrarin and Regesse de Gaston in the village of Maniago in north eastern Italy. It ended with Mrs Daniell receiving 60 birdshot wounds to her abdomen... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
20th Anniversary of Melbourne Gun Massacre Brings Call for Tougher Laws
Herald Sun (Melbourne) / AAP
8 August 2007
As Melbourne remembers the 20th anniversary of the Hoddle Street massacre, the gun control lobby has called for a clampdown on gun ownership, saying shooting licences are too easy to obtain. Stronger gun laws were one of the outcomes following the slaying of seven people by failed army cadet Julian Knight in inner Melbourne on August 9, 1987 -- Victoria's worst mass murder. Gun Control Australia says stronger laws have... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Firearms in Australia: a Parliamentary Library Guide to Electronic Resources
Parliamentary Library, Federal Parliament of Australia, Web Page
6 August 2007
Introduction On 28 April 1996, 35 people were killed and 18 others were wounded at Port Arthur in Tasmania by an assailant using a semi-automatic rifle. In response, The Australasian Police Ministers' Council convened a special meeting on 10 May 1996 and agreed to a national plan for the regulation of firearms -- the Nationwide Agreement on Firearms. This agreement banned self-loading rifles and self-loading and pump-action shotguns,... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Australian Police Confiscate 2,000 Firearms from Licensed Gun Dealer
Hobart Mercury (Tasmania)
3 August 2007
Police seized 2000 guns worth hundreds of thousands of dollars in a swoop on a New Town firearms business yesterday. About a dozen uniform, forensic and plain clothes officers spent several hours removing the large haul of shotguns, rifles and ammunition after the early-morning raid of two properties owned by long-running licensed firearms dealer Stuart Woods. Police first swooped on a red brick home on an internal block... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Australian Police Hunt for Gold Coast Pistol Club Airgun Thieves
Australian Associated Press
3 August 2007
Police are hunting two men they believe are responsible for a robbery at the Gold Coast Pistol Club on Tuesday night. Eight Feinwerkbau (FWB) model 65, .177 calibre pistols and two laptops were stolen during the robbery of the club shortly before midnight on Edmond Rice Drive, Southport. A police spokeswoman said officers now had descriptions of two men believed to have been involved in the robbery. They are described... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Licensed Australian Gun Club Loses 7 Handguns to Opportunistic Thieves
ABC News (Australia)
2 August 2007
Gold Coast police are examining security footage at a Southport gun club to try establish who stole seven pistols. The weapons were stolen from a secured area at the Gold Coast Pistol Club late on Tuesday night. Detective Inspector John Hartwell says police want to talk with two men who visited the club on Edmond Rice Drive last week. "Two men of Maori appearance, both described in their 20s early 30s, attended... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Steyr, Gold Magnum, 15 Other Guns Seized from Sydney Drug Syndicate
Sydney Morning Herald / AAP
26 July 2007
The alleged kingpin of a multi-million dollar 'golden gun' cocaine syndicate, his wife and another man have been arrested on drug charges and money laundering. The arrests last night followed the discovery by police of $3 million in cash allegedly belonging to the syndicate's boss. NSW Police have so far arrested ten people in connection with the syndicate and seized more than $18 million cash, $3.5 million in assets, two... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Taxpayers Fund Australian MPs' Spouses on Pistol Shooting Travel Jaunt
Herald Sun (Melbourne)
24 July 2007
Taxpayers will foot the bill for the spouses of federal MPs to fly to Canberra for a gun shooting party. The Parliamentary Partners Association has organised the get-together at the Canberra National Pistol Club, promising "friendship, laughter and a great time". The flights of those attending will be paid for by taxpayers under a nine-trip allowance for parliamentary spouses each year. At least a dozen have already... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Australian Doctor Hid an 'Arsenal' of Illegal Assault Weapons, Machine Gun
Courier-Mail (Brisbane), Opinion
13 July 2007
The Queensland courts website includes a scarcely used sub-section called "sentencing remarks" in which judges record wise things they think might be of particular significance or public interest. One who thinks her remarks are worthy of recording is north Queensland judge Sarah Bradley, who recently presided over the trial of Dr John Di Palma, who she let walk away with a two-year suspended sentence after he pleaded guilty to owning... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Armoured Car Guards Lose at Least 11 Handguns to Australian Robbers
Daily Telegraph (Sydney)
10 July 2007
Three security guards were disarmed and robbed during a cash delivery at a Commonwealth Bank today -- the fourth armoured van hold-up in three weeks. As The Daily Telegraph reported this morning on urgent new moves to stop thieves targetting armed guards for their weapons, the guards were ambushed by four masked gunmen as they tried to enter the bank at West Ryde carrying bags of cash about 7.45am. Witnesses said the guards... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Queensland Collector Had 50 Illegal Firearms, Submachine Guns in Bunker
Courier-Mail (Brisbane)
10 July 2007
When police raided the luxury property of a north Queensland doctor they found a huge cache of banned military-style weapons and ammunition hidden in a purpose-built underground bunker. Some initially feared it was the "sinister" stockpile of some militia group or blackmarket international arms dealer. But it simply proved to be the private stash of highly respected Innisfail GP and avid gun collector John Di Palma. ... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Australia's Victoria Police Push for More Handgun Firepower, More Money
Age (Melbourne)
9 July 2007
Police urgently need to be armed with semi-automatic weapons to combat a surge of high-powered firearms in Melbourne's underworld, Police Association secretary Paul Mullett said yesterday. Mr Mullett accused senior police of trying to "lose in the bureaucratic ether" a Government commitment to spend up to $10 million on new semi-automatic handguns to replace the six-shot Smith and Wesson revolvers used by street police. He... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Australian Police Raid Licensed Gun Shop, Seize 200 Firearms in NSW
ABC News (Australia)
6 July 2007
Police seized hundreds of guns in a raid on a gun shop in Wagga Wagga, in southern New South Wales, overnight. Police have confirmed the shop has been emptied of its firearms. It is understood more than 200 guns and a large quantity of ammunition have been seized. Police worked into the early hours of this morning to complete the job. No-one is available to comment on the raid, but it is understood to... ( gunpolicy.org )
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