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Time to Expose Crime Gun Origins, Revisit Gun Control in Australia
14 May 2012
Australian (Sydney), Opinion
More than 16 years have passed since the massacre of 35 people at Port Arthur in Tasmania, on a Sunday afternoon in April still painfully vivid in our memories. In his second month in office, John Howard responded to the national mood with a gun buy-back scheme. More than 700,000 weapons were handed in and destroyed -- about 20 per cent of Australia's firearms. Encouraged by the commonwealth, state and territory ministers also agreed on tougher, uniform gun... (GunPolicy.org)
Queensland About Face: Mandatory Sentences for Illegal Gun Possession
30 April 2012
Brisbane Times (Queensland)
Illegal firearm traffickers will face a mandatory minimum term of five years in jail, with the Newman government spelling out reforms to clamp down on bikie-related crime in Queensland.
Premier Campbell Newman's embrace of a raft of mandatory minimum sentences mark a shift since last year, when the Liberal National Party leader explained why they were a bad idea.
His post cabinet-announcement of tougher penalties for serious offences comes in the wake of Saturday's... (GunPolicy.org)
Australian Justice Minister Admits Gaps in Gun Laws, Tracing, Registration
27 April 2012
ABC News (Australia), Audio
Justice and Home Affairs Minister Jason Clare says there are weaknesses in the nation's gun control laws. He says he is drafting some proposals to take to the next meeting of his state and territory counterparts in June, which include closing loopholes in the national firearms database.
TRANSCRIPT: On the eve of the 16th anniversary of the Port Arthur massacre the Federal Government has announced it intends to reform Australia's gun laws.
The Minister for Justice and... (GunPolicy.org)
Australian Authorities to Crack Down on Illegal Arms Trade
27 April 2012
ABC News (Australia)
As New South Wales authorities grapple with the worst bikie war in decades, the Federal Government says it is determined to crack down on the illegal gun trade, and they have handguns in their sights.
While the bikie war rages, there there have been outbreaks of gun violence in other parts of the country as well.
On the eve of the 16th anniversary of the Port Arthur massacre, the Government has announced plans to amend Australia's gun laws.
National figures are... (GunPolicy.org)
Fourfold Rise in Guns, Parts Smuggled to Australia, Most from USA
25 April 2012
Gympie Times (Queensland)
Firearm seizures at Australian borders have exploded four-fold over the past five years with most failed import attempts coming from the United States.
Australian Customs and Border Protection figures provided to APN Newsdesk show firearm, firearm parts, magazine or accessory detections in Australia increased from 225 in the 2006-07 financial year to 977 in the last financial year.
The biggest year for detections was in 2009-10 when Australian Customs discovered... (GunPolicy.org)
Origin of Crime Guns in Australia: Plenty of Myths, Little Evidence
24 April 2012
ABC News (Australia), Audio
The recent spate of shootings in Sydney's western suburbs have been tagged as criminal-on-criminal violence. There have been more than 50 shootings so far this year and a 40 per cent increase in drive-bys over the last two years. Is there something more going on than just gang warfare? Fifteen hundred guns are stolen every year, falling into the wrong hands.
Transcript
Anita Barraud: Thanks, Mark, and welcome to the Law Report. The recent spate of shootings in... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia Police Fear Criminals Stockpiling Stolen Guns for Gang Warfare
20 April 2012
Courier-Mail (Brisbane)
Police fear criminals are stockpiling hundreds of firearms stolen in Queensland each year and plan to use them in violent confrontations and possible gang warfare.
The LNP Government yesterday announced a crackdown on illegal firearms after The Courier-Mail revealed gun theft had soared in Queensland, with hundreds stolen in the past year.
In the wake of two recent fatal shootings in Brisbane, Police Commissioner Bob Atkinson said police feared the weapons would be... (GunPolicy.org)
States 'Should Unite' to Combat Spread of Illegal Guns - S. Australian AG
19 April 2012
Australian (Sydney)
States should adopt a nationally consistent approach to deal with criminal organisations to combat the spread of illegal firearms, South Australian Attorney-General John Rau said yesterday.
Mr Rau's call came as NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione warned that gangs were moving towards an American criminal culture of resolving disputes "at the end of a handgun".
Gun-related violence has risen to national prominence after the Tuesday night shooting of a Hell's Angel... (GunPolicy.org)
100,000 Imported Handguns a 'Major Public Concern' for Australia
18 April 2012
Sydney Morning Herald, Opinion
April is an eerie time of year. Sixteen years ago this month, Martin Bryant opened fire at historic Port Arthur in Tasmania, killing 35 people and wounding 18 others. This month also marks the anniversaries of the Columbine massacre of April 20, 1999 in the US, where 13 people were killed and at least 21 injured, the Virginia Tech massacre of April 16, 2007, where 32 people died and 25 were injured, and now Oakland's Oikos University massacre, which happened two weeks... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia & New Zealand,Australia
Australia's PM Should Follow Her Predecessor and Ban Handguns Now
17 April 2012
Australian (Sydney) / AAP
Prime Minister Julia Gillard needs to step in and work with the states to ban semi-automatic handguns in response to Sydney's plague of drive-by shootings, a gun control group says.
The guns are the weapon of choice for criminals terrorising western Sydney because they are lightweight and easy to handle, says Samantha Lee, chair of the National Coalition for Gun Control.
"Sydney is drowning in drive-by shootings," she told reporters today.
"It is actually time for... (GunPolicy.org)
Australian Customs Should Be Embedded with Police to Tackle Gun Crisis
17 April 2012
Australian (Sydney) / AAP
Customs agents should be embedded within the NSW Police Force to tackle Sydney's escalating gun crisis, says Federal Home Affairs Minister Jason Clare.
In a five hour shooting spree last night, two tattoo parlours and three homes were sprayed with bullets.
Over four days there have been eight shootings across Sydney and 19 so far this month.
Mr Clare said a new firearms intelligence unit was needed to collect the intelligence gathered by Customs, and federal and... (GunPolicy.org)
Escalating Gun War in Sydney, Five Drive-by Shootings Overnight
17 April 2012
Agence France Presse
SYDNEY — An escalating gun war in Sydney saw five overnight drive-by shooting attacks, Australian police said Tuesday, as they struggled to bring the gangland violence under control.
There have been eight shootings across the city in four days and 19 so far this month, mostly in Sydney's west and southwest.
Three homes and two tattoo parlours were sprayed with bullets in the latest attacks. No one was hurt but five young children were lucky to escape injury in one... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Owner Smuggled Assault Weapon Parts from US to Australia - Cops
14 April 2012
Daily Telegraph (Sydney)
Gun parts which could be assembled to make a military assault rifle similar to that used in the Port Arthur massacre have been removed from the streets of Sydney in the latest police raid and crackdown on illegal weapons.
The illegally imported parts, which slipped into the country through Australia Post, were uncovered on Thursday when detectives raided a property near Port Macquarie and another owned by the same man in Sydney's south.
Among the large cache of... (GunPolicy.org)
Majority of Illegal Guns in Australia Sourced Locally, Not Smuggled
12 April 2012
ABC News (Australia)
NSW Police say progress is being made in the operation to crackdown on gang related gun violence in Sydney, despite ten reported shootings in as many days.
The head of Operation Spartan, Assistant Commissioner Frank Mennilli says officers have seen some success however remain frustrated by the wall of silence around victims and witnesses.
Operation Spartan has seen 36 firearms seized since January with 314 people arrested and more than 515 charges laid by... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia Launches New Firearm Intelligence Team to Trace Crime Guns
12 April 2012
Australian (Sydney) / AAP
A new Firearms Intelligence and Targeting Team is to be established to link all available information on illicit firearms in a move to tackle rising gun crime.
Home Affairs and Justice Minister Jason Clare said this was the same model used by Customs and Border Protection and other law enforcement agencies for counter-terrorism, counter-proliferation activities and illegal drug importation and it had proved highly effective.
Mr Clare said work would start immediately... (GunPolicy.org)
11,000 Licensed Guns 'Missing' in South Australia
7 April 2012
Advertiser (Adelaide)
Almost 11,000 licensed firearms have reportedly gone "missing" in South Australia over the past decade.
Among the 10,879 weapons are semi-automatic rifles, pump-action shotguns, pistols and antique guns, SA Police figures reveal.
Firearms classified as missing include those that are lost, unaccounted for from deceased estates, where the licence holder can't be located, firearms destroyed by the owner, or destroyed by other means such as flood and fire.
The figures -... (GunPolicy.org)
20 Licensed Dealers Struck Off, Supplying Crime Guns in Australia
1 April 2012
Age (Melbourne)
Gun dealers are hiring out shotguns and rifles indefinitely to shooters dodging registration requirements, with dozens of the guns disappearing, raising concerns they may be used for criminal purposes.
The guns are hired out at the full purchase price and are essentially de facto sales. The issue is of increasing concern given the recent spate of gang shootings in the northern and western suburbs.
By law, guns can be hired out only to licensed shooters, but the... (GunPolicy.org)
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Canada Changed Its Arms Policy, Chose UN Delegate to Suit Gun Lobby
21 March 2012
CBC News (Canada)
The office of Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird ordered last-minute changes to Canada's position on an international arms treaty, as well as to its delegation to meetings at United Nations headquarters, CBC News has learned.
According to documents obtained under the Access to Information Act, the minister's office ignored advice from the department and ordered civil servants to invite Steve Torino, president of the Canadian Shooting Sports Association (CSSA), to... (GunPolicy.org)
Vanuatu Lauded for UN Arms Trade Treaty Programmes
19 March 2012
Vanuatu Daily Post
PORT VILA, Vanuatu – Vanuatu was represented at the Pacific regional workshop on small arms and light weapons and the arms trade treaty.
This 3-day workshop, held in Australia at Brisbane's Novotel Hotel, was organized by the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat in conjunction with AusAID and Oxfam.
It was intended to provide a forum for discussion by Pacific Region representatives on the implementation of the UN Program of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Control Advocates Protest Slackening of Australia's Handgun Laws
17 March 2012
Age (Melbourne)
Gun control advocates have hit out at new laws that would make it easier for Victorians to own a handgun.
The amendments - passed this week by the state government with the co-operation of the Labor opposition - lower the number of days a handgun owner needs to spend on the firing range every year in order to retain a licence. They also make time spent on shooting ranges overseas count towards the total, which Gun Control Australia president John Crook said would be... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Germany,Europe,Australia
In Wake of Glock Seizure, Australian Minister Defends Gun Control Efforts
15 March 2012
ABC News (Australia), Transcript
TONY EASTLEY: According to Tony Abbott Sydneysiders this morning not only face peak hour traffic but a reign of terror on the streets because of the illegal importation of hundreds of handguns from Europe and he puts it down to the Federal Government's lack of border control. The Opposition Leader says it can all be sheeted home to the Government.
On Tuesday police and other Federal and state authorities arrested alleged members of a gun smuggling syndicate who'd... (GunPolicy.org)
Post Office Owner Smuggled German Glocks to Sydney Gangs - Police
14 March 2012
Daily Telegraph (Sydney)
It began at a firearms manufacturing factory in Austria - and ended at a suburban Sydney post office.
Police yesterday cracked an elaborate gun-smuggling operation that spanned the globe, putting hundreds of illegal firearms into the hands of Sydney's underworld.
In the small township of Remscheid, Germany, up to 300 brand new Austrian-made Glock handguns were disassembled, packed in boxes with inconspicuous labels such as "plastic" and "metal", and shipped to... (GunPolicy.org)
German-Australian Gun Smuggling Network Broken in Police Raids
13 March 2012
Sydney Morning Herald
Police have smashed a criminal syndicate allegedly importing illegal handguns from Europe into Australia via a Sydney post office.
The joint Australian German investigation, launched last month, resulted in three arrests today.
The NSW Firearms and Organised Crime Squad led raids earlier today to stop the importation of illegal firearms from Germany to Australia.
Three men have been arrested in Sydney and are assisting police with their inquiries after a number of... (GunPolicy.org)
Curb Number of Guns Owned, Slow Gun Theft - West Australia Police Boss
12 March 2012
West Australian (Perth)
In the wake of the Port Arthur massacre in April 1996 the Federal government and all Australasian police ministers signed up to the National Firearms Agreement.
The intent of the agreement was to tighten gun control through the restriction of certain categories of firearms, through better screening of applicants and through a more rigorous assessment of genuine need.
The agreement included an amnesty and buyback scheme for firearms with the focus on reducing the... (GunPolicy.org)
Perth 13-gun Seizure Spurs Call for Australian Firearm Licence Limit
6 March 2012
Sydney Morning Herald
A Rockingham man charged with multiple weapon, ammunition and drug offences at the weekend had been granted up to 13 separate and concurrent firearms licences, leading the state opposition to call for a limit to be set.
Thirteen firearms, plus several thousand rounds of ammunition for which the 36-year-old man did not have a licence, methamphetamines, nearly $18,000 in cash and other weapons including a machete, a sling shot and expandable batons were seized from a... (GunPolicy.org)
Spike in Australian Shootings Spurs Promises to Choke Illegal Gun Trade
14 February 2012
New Zealand Herald
Federal and New South Wales law agencies have launched a new crackdown on illegal firearms that will cross state borders in a bid to uncover the national black market in guns.
Triggered by a spike in shootings in Sydney and Adelaide, the Australian Crime Commission is to co-ordinate the high-tech tracing of weapons used in dozens of drive-by shootings.
It will also investigate links to organised crime, including warring outlaw motorcycle gangs - also targeted by tough... (GunPolicy.org)
Australian State Moves to Record all Ammunition Sales to Unload Guns
13 February 2012
ABC News (Australia)
The New South Wales Government has revealed details of its plans to crack down on gun crime, in response to the spate of shootings in Sydney over the past year.
The Government has been under pressure over more than 60 shootings, particularly in Sydney's south-west.
A raft of legislation will be introduced to State Parliament this week to create new criminal offences and tighten current gun laws.
The Government wants to create a specific offence for drive-by... (GunPolicy.org)
Australian Feds Announce Latest Nationwide Crime Gun Tracing Effort
12 February 2012
ABC News (Australia)
A recent spate of shootings in Western Sydney and South Australia have prompted a national intelligence assessment of up to 1,500 illegal firearms.
The Australian Crime Commission, together with state and federal police, customs and border protection agencies, will trace guns linked to shootings over the past year, and determine links to gang activity across the country.
The full report and recommendations will be presented to police ministers in July.
Federal Home... (GunPolicy.org)
Theft From Gun Owners Fuels Crime Gun Market in South Australia
30 January 2012
Advertiser (Adelaide)
The black market for guns is thriving in SA, fuelled by the theft of up to 200 guns each year.
Police figures show that a total of 1316 guns have been taken from homes, businesses and vehicles since 2004.
Experts warn the thefts are the likely source of illegal firearm sales.
Police say they recover a "substantial" number of guns annually but admit it can take many years to find them, with 64 of the firearms recovered last financial year reported stolen up to 15... (GunPolicy.org)
Assembling Illegal Guns with Imported Pieces, Growing Trend within Sydney's Underworld
29 January 2012
Daily Telegraph (Sydney)
Criminals are assembling illegal weapons in backyard firearm factories after importing them piece-by-piece over the internet.
The Sunday Telegraph can reveal the parts are being sourced from legitimate gun dealers in the US and pieced together in NSW after arriving in the mail undetected.
Detective Superintendent Ken Finch, commander of the Firearms and Organised Crime Squad (FAOCS), said a number of unrelated individuals had already been arrested and charged over the... (GunPolicy.org)
Call for 3-gun Ownership Limit as Firearm Licences Soar in NSW, Australia
23 January 2012
Sydney Morning Herald
The number of gun permits issued in NSW has almost doubled in the past five years, sparking calls for restrictions on how many guns people can acquire.
Figures from the NSW firearms registry show 111,792 permits to acquire a firearm were issued in 2009 and 2010. That was 29,427 more than for the previous two-year period. In 2005 and 2006, there were 65,997 permits issued.
The National Coalition for Gun Control, which obtained the latest figures under... (GunPolicy.org)
Shooters on 'Gun Buying Spree,' Own on Average 4 Guns Each in Australia's Largest State
16 January 2012
Daily Telegraph (Sydney)
NSW is gun mad - and proud of it - with shooters stockpiling almost 100,000 new registered firearms in the past five years.
The number of gun licences, meanwhile, has only increased by about a fifth, or 18,852 over the same period, showing some are stocking up with numerous weapons.
There are now 763,359 registered firearms across the state, including 27,956 handguns, compared with 190,844 licences - taking the ratio to four guns for every licensed owner. In some... (GunPolicy.org)
Most Crime Guns Stolen from Licensed Owners - Australian Police Chief
13 January 2012
Sydney Morning Herald
The police have launched an audacious effort to get thousands of illegal guns off Sydney's streets, urging people to be more courageous and simply pick up the phone to tell them where weapons are in order to save lives.
The acting NSW Police Commissioner, Nick Kaldas, launched Operation Spartan yesterday to combat a recent "spike" in gun crime amid fears that innocent people would be caught in the crossfire. He said most weapons were imported, but most of the illegal... (GunPolicy.org)
Sydney: Most Guns Seized by NSW Police 'Stolen from Legitimate Sources'
12 January 2012
ABC News (Australia) / 7.30 Report, Transcript
TRACY BOWDEN, PRESENTER: Drive by shootings are something we normally associate with Hollywood action movies but they've become a reality on the streets of Sydney.
Last night, a bullet fired from a passing car narrowly missed a two-month-old baby who was asleep in her cot. And on Monday night two houses were sprayed with bullets in separate attacks.
Although there have no deaths, police fear it could only be a matter of time before an innocent bystander is caught in... (GunPolicy.org)
Australian Gun Criminal Freed, Victoria to Close 'Bizarre' Firearm Loophole
11 January 2012
Herald Sun (Melbourne)
The closure of a bizarre loophole in gun laws will make it easier to prevent criminals from carrying firearms.
A legislative amendment, expected to pass when Parliament resumes, will prevent any exploitation of laws that ban "prohibited persons" from having firearms.
In a 2010 case that prompted a review of the Firearms Act, a member of a Melbourne crime family beat firearms charges after a judge accepted he could not have known whether a revolver was registered.
The... (GunPolicy.org)
Guns Outnumber People in Rural Australian Towns: Anti-gun Lobby 'Horrified'
9 January 2012
Herald Sun (Melbourne)
Guns outnumber people in 24 Victorian towns a special investigation has revealed and the figures have horrified the anti-gun lobby.
The East Gippsland hamlet of Swifts Creek has the highest ratio: 774 registered firearms shared by just 278 residents.
French Island in Western Port Bay and Harrow, in the Wimmera, rounded out the top three gun hot spots.
National Coalition for Gun Control chairwoman Sam Lee said more guns led to more crime.
Annual figures show an... (GunPolicy.org)
Queensland Gun Thefts Soar, Fuel Black Market in Illicit Weapons
1 January 2012
Courier-Mail (Brisbane)
Firearm thefts are soaring in Queensland, bolstering a booming black market for illicit weapons and fuelling a deadly wave of armed violence.
Gun shops, homes, cars and even a house used to grow marijuana have all had weapons including handguns stolen in the past year.
The thefts come as legal firearm ownership spikes in Queensland and as crime fighters haul underworld figures before coercive hearings into gun crimes.
Latest police figures show 551 guns were stolen... (GunPolicy.org)
Murder Rate Halved, But Guns Still Kill in Australia's Largest State
31 December 2011
Sydney Morning Herald
SYDNEY'S murder rate has halved in the past decade, falling to its lowest level in recent history.
But Sydney's streets are no safer, said Don Weatherburn, the director of the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research.
Homicide cases have dropped from 88 in 2001 to 43 this year, reflecting a statewide trend in which murders fell from 119 to 77. The rate of one homicide per 100,000 people is the lowest Dr Weatherburn can remember.
"The puzzle is that homicide is... (GunPolicy.org)
South Australia Police Admit They Cannot Eradicate Black Market of Illegal Guns
21 December 2011
Advertiser (Adelaide)
Police admit they cannot eradicate a black market that is peddling illegal guns to criminals.
Motorcycle gang members and convicted criminals barred from buying guns in South Australia have no difficulty obtaining illegal firearms - including fully automatic weapons.
These are often used in drive-by shootings, robberies and murders.
Police seized a Soviet-made SKS semi-automatic rifle, a sawn-off .22 calibre rifle and an illegal silencer in raids on 11 suburban... (GunPolicy.org)
Sydney Woman Joined Gun Club, Shot Father, Acquitted as Mentally Ill
15 December 2011
ABC News (Australia)
A woman who joined a gun club so she could kill her 70-year-old father has been found not guilty of murder due to mental illness.
Shamin Fernando, 44, faced a judge-only trial for the 2010 murder of her father Vincent.
The Supreme Court heard she called him to her Glebe unit in inner Sydney to help with her computer then shot him several times with a pistol.
The court heard Fernando obtained the gun from the Sydney Pistol Club, where she was a provisional... (GunPolicy.org)
Soaring Gun Ownership 'Getting Out of Control' in Australia's Largest State
11 December 2011
Daily Telegraph (Sydney)
Soaring gun ownership in NSW is expected to soon exceed levels prior to the federal government's 1996 buy-back program.
Figures obtained by The Sunday Telegraph show there are 188,885 people on the NSW Police Firearms Register, just short of the estimated 200,000 licence holders pre- the Port Arthur massacre, which triggered changes to gun laws.
NSW Greens described the increase as "alarming" and gun control groups warned that more and more firearms would end up on... (GunPolicy.org)
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Armed Societies, Another Tragedy for Women: Mexico, Pakistan, Venezuela
9 December 2011
Inter Press Service News Agency
CARACAS - Kairobis Arcia, 25, died from a bullet to her head shot by her husband, Oswaldo Mendoza, 32, who said he was blinded by jealousy in an argument fuelled by alcohol and drugs.
Her murder was just one of the more than 468,000 homicides a year that occur worldwide, 42 percent of which are committed with firearms. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the global murder rate is 6.9 per 100,000 people – 11.9 per 100,000 among men and... (GunPolicy.org)
Australian Woman Joined Pistol Club, Stole Handgun to Kill Father - Court
7 December 2011
ABC News (Australia)
A Sydney court has heard a woman accused of shooting her father dead joined a local pistol club to obtain the gun she used in the killing.
Shamin Anne Fernando today faced a judge-only one-day trial in the New South Wales Supreme Court over the death of her father Vincent Fernando last year.
The 44-year-old has pleaded not guilty to murder on the grounds of mental illness.
The court heard Fernando called her father to her unit at Glebe in inner Sydney to help with... (GunPolicy.org)
Western Sydney Weathers a 20% Spike in Drive-by Property Shootings
6 December 2011
Sydney Morning Herald / AAP
Sydney's west has experienced a 20 per cent spike in drive-by shootings, the latest NSW crime statistics show.
The number of shootings at premises in western Sydney increased from 73 last year to 88 this year, the director of the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) Don Weatherburn said on Tuesday.
He said while gun crime was stable across the state, it had spiked in western Sydney.
"Over the last 12 months we've seen a 20 per cent increase in the number... (GunPolicy.org)
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Global: Unplanned Explosions at Munitions Dumps Increasing - IRIN / SAS
5 December 2011
IRIN (UN News)
JOHANNESBURG - The rate of accidents at munitions storage sites has risen to unprecedented levels in 2011, despite a growing international commitment to assist countries in managing their weapons and ammunition stockpiles.
"During the first ten months of 2011, the average number of explosions has increased to more than three per month - the highest rate recorded in a calendar year," said the Small Arms Survey (SAS), a Geneva-based NGO monitoring small arms and armed... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Hunt Gun Thieves in West Australia: Hundreds Stolen in 18 Months
26 November 2011
West Australian (Perth)
Police are hunting for a thief who stole five firearms from Hamilton Hill recently.
A police spokeswoman said a shotgun, two lever action rifles, a handgun and one air-rifle was stolen from a poorly secured cabinet on Winterfold Street.
The deadly weapons were left in an unoccupied house, which was under construction, in an unlocked garage.
Police were called to the residence about 7am but it is unknown when exactly the weapons were stolen.
Gun owners are required... (GunPolicy.org)
Tasmanian Shooters Caught Killing Elk in US: Brown Calls for Gun Control
17 November 2011
Examiner (Tasmania)
Greens leader Bob Brown has called for tighter gun controls after three Tasmanians were busted in the US for shooting and killing elk out of season.
Senator Brown has blamed hunting for rising gun sales.
"This culture of killing wild beasts is being promoted and we know that gun sales in Australia are going up, it's high time we had a review of that," he said.
"There is a right place for weapons in any society but armed Australians shooting down helpless wonderful... (GunPolicy.org)
Guns Destroyed in Australian Gun Buybacks Now Replaced with Imports
13 November 2011
ABC Radio National - Background Briefing, Transcript
Gun clubs report lots of new members, hunting is cool, and handguns are gangland chic. The hundreds of thousands of guns destroyed in buybacks since Port Arthur have been more than replaced by new ones. But guns are highly political and the national system for monitoring gun ownership is a mess. Reporter, Ian Townsend.
Ian Townsend: There may be more guns in Australia today than there have ever been. In the past 16 months in Queensland alone, nearly 50,000 guns —... (GunPolicy.org)
Australian Gun Imports, Shooter Numbers Up, Firearm Records 'In a Mess'
12 November 2011
ABC News (Australia)
More than a decade after the horrific Port Arthur Massacre, gun ownership is on the rise in Australia, but experts say this resurgence is highlighting serious problems with the current regulation and registration system.
In the 15 years since Martin Bryant killed 35 people at the popular Tasmanian tourist site, the flow of firearms into Australia has eclipsed the amount recovered in the government funded buy-back scheme.
Last financial year alone Australians imported... (GunPolicy.org)
Handgun Found in Patient's Fake Leg Puts Sydney Hospital in Lockdown
1 November 2011
Sydney Morning Herald
St Vincent's Hospital was placed in lockdown yesterday afternoon after the alleged discovery of a pistol hidden in a patient's prosthetic leg.
Police yesterday charged a 66-year-old man who had been admitted to the hospital in Sydney's east for a second leg amputation brought on by a medical condition.
A doctor reported seeing the gun in the patient's room on level nine of the hospital about 3.50pm yesterday, police said.
No one was threatened with the weapon, but... (GunPolicy.org)
Rising Rate of Gun Theft in Australia Begs Tougher Controls on Storage
31 October 2011
Courier-Mail (Brisbane)
A report by the Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC) has found 1,570 firearms were stolen in 620 incidents in 2008-09.
The National Firearm Theft Monitoring Report said only three per cent of these guns were used to commit an offence, or were stolen by someone charged with a serious criminal offence.
The most commonly stolen firearms were rifles, followed by shotguns.
Nearly a quarter of people (24 per cent) who reported a stolen firearm had not stored it... (GunPolicy.org)
Political Party Gives Bullets to Australian Gun Clubs in Return for Votes
28 October 2011
Australian (Sydney)
Bob Katter's Australia Party is giving bullets to gun clubs in return for their political support.
Gun dealer and party vice-president Robert Nioa yesterday confirmed the "sponsorship" scheme as Queensland Attorney-General Paul Lucas condemned the fledgling political entity's financial links to shooting interests.
Mr Lucas said he was seeking crown law advice over a loophole in electoral laws that spared the party from having to declare more than $500,000 in donations... (GunPolicy.org)
Cowboys, Gun Dealer Calling the Shots for Bob Katter's Political Party
27 October 2011
Australian (Sydney)
Little has been made of the links between Bob Katter's new political party and shooting interests but the website of the gun-dealing millionaire who is the party's senior vice-president gives an insight into the thirst for bloodsports of some of its backers.
For Rob Nioa and some of his like-minded friends who helped to finance Katter's Australian Party, including Queensland Gun Exchange owner David Auger, bagging a rare animal such as a scimitar-horned oryx is a... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Control Group Asks Maverick Federal MP to Explain Pro-Gun Stance
27 October 2011
Australian (Sydney)
Anti-gun campaigners have called on maverick Federal MP Bob Katter to explain his Australia Party's policy towards firearm laws.
The party denies being solely focussed on giving gun owners and dealers better rights, but The Australian has today revealed the gun links of key officials and backers, including Mr Katter's son-in-law, Rob Nioa, president of the Australian Gun Dealers Association.
Gun Control Australia president John Crook today said it was a "disgusting... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia Govt Approves $8 Million for Thales to Design New Army Rifle
14 October 2011
Canberra Times (Australia)
The Government has approved $8million for Thales to develop a prototype for a better rifle for the Army.
Defence Materiel Minister Jason Clare said the work would be carried out at Lithgow's Soldier Systems Centre - once known as the Lithgow Small Arms Factory.
The prototype would have better balance, weigh less and include an integrated grenade launcher.
It would retain the Austeyr's most controversial characteristic, its 5.56mm (.223 inch) calibre. The smaller... (GunPolicy.org)
Thieves Steal Steel Safe, 9 Long Guns as Australian Owner Sleeps
14 October 2011
Australian Associated Press
A 46-year-old man and his wife were awoken by a loud noise at their home on Milne Street, Shortland, about 4.30am (AEDT) on Friday.
They told police they saw two men men run from the house and get into a grey or green-coloured Toyota Landcruiser.
The couple discovered their safe, with nine long-barrelled firearms and an amount of ammunition inside, had been stolen.
Detectives are appealing for anyone who witnessed the incident, or any suspicious activity in the... (GunPolicy.org)
Criminal Says He Has No Trouble Obtaining a Handgun in Australia
11 October 2011
Courier-Mail (Brisbane)
A hardened Gold Coast criminal has told The Courier-Mail he could obtain a "very nice" handgun for about $2000 in two hours "through bikie connections".
The man, who has a criminal history involving outlaw motorcycle clubs, said the weapon would be "top of the range, like a Glock 9mm" and was likely to have come from a cache of guns stolen during a break-in and then stored for later use or sale. "It could be easily procured for a job," he said.
A spate of shootings on... (GunPolicy.org)
Ban Gun Silencers, Scrap Australian Hunter Body, Say NSW Greens
10 October 2011
Sydney Morning Herald / AAP
NSW Greens MP David Shoebridge has backed a state government decision not to allow the use of gun silencers, saying it's proof the NSW Game Council should be abolished.
The Game Council was set up by the former Labor government in 2002 as a statutory authority to regulate hunting in the state.
The Shooters and Fishers Party had asked the government to allow the use of silencers by licensed shooters and hunters, with the Game Council submitting a report backing the... (GunPolicy.org)
Dealer Takes Gun for Disposal, Australia Police Find It in Hands of Criminal
4 October 2011
West Australian (Perth)
A double-barrelled shotgun a Perth man gave to a gunsmith for disposal has been found by police at the home of a suspected criminal almost 18 months later.
The gunsmith had modified the weapon so it was unusable.
But former owner Rod, who did not want his surname revealed, said he was concerned because it would look like an operating gun to a potential crime victim.
"It was taken off my licence and I thought it would be crushed or given to police," he said.
"But... (GunPolicy.org)
Guns Returned by Australian Police in Domestic Violence Cases
19 September 2011
Sydney Morning Herald
Firearms are being returned by police in a majority of domestic violence cases where one of the parties has a gun licence.
Figures obtained from the NSW Police firearms registry under freedom of information laws show up to 2309 licences were suspended in domestic violence cases from 2008 to 2010 under sections 22 and 23 of the Firearms Act. The figures show only 512 people lost their gun licence over the same period under section 24 of the Firearms Act because they... (GunPolicy.org)
Black Market for Guns Flourishes in Australia Due to Improper Storage
17 September 2011
West Australian (Perth)
Hundreds of firearms have been stolen from registered gun owners and police have seized more than 100 high-powered rifles and handguns from organised crime figures in the past 18 months.
And a black market for guns appears to be flourishing because firearm owners are not properly securing their weapons.
A police operation this month in which the storage of licensed firearms was checked at 370 properties resulted in 74 gun owners being charged and 189 guns being... (GunPolicy.org)
Automatic Assault Rifle, Military Weapons Seized from Australian Bodyguard
15 September 2011
Sydney Morning Herald
The former bodyguard of the deceased billionaire Richard Pratt was caught with a cache of military weapons, explosives, stolen NSW police files and false passports stashed in his apartment, court documents reveal.
Sean Shane Bowman, who allegedly had an affair with one of Mr Pratt's mistresses, Madison Ashton, while still employed by him, appeared in Burwood local court yesterday on 60 charges after a police raid on his Rhodes apartment on May 12 uncovered the massive... (GunPolicy.org)
Major Seizures of Guns Mainly Firearm Dealer Imports - Australia Customs
14 September 2011
Daily Telegraph (Sydney)
December 23, 2008
Sydney
Huge haul of weapons including:
Assault rifles: Steyr F88, Norinco SKS, Marlin 60 and ADI SLR L1A1
Handguns: Beretta 92FS and Remington 870 Wingmaster
Shot guns: Mossberg 500A
Teargas
16cm rifle silencer
Pistol scope
Megatron Transformer
December 8, 2009
Sydney
980 rounds of FMJ green tip M855 Penetrator armour piercing bullets
July 25, 2006
Brisbane
Steyer tactical scout elite .308 calibre rifle, with telescopic sight
May 30,... (GunPolicy.org)
Guns Smuggled Into Australia, Most Crime Guns Stolen from Legal Owners - Police
14 September 2011
Daily Telegraph (Sydney)
The nation's ports have become a major frontline in the war against gun crime as criminals attempt to import arsenals large enough to start a small war.
Gun-runners were caught trying to bring in thousands of firearms including machineguns, military-style assault rifles, shotguns and pistols over the past five years.
But, despite the seizures by Australian Customs and Border Protection Service, many more weapons may end up on the streets as just 3.6 per cent of... (GunPolicy.org)
Majority of Shootings in New South Wales Are Drug Related, Police
6 September 2011
Sydney Morning Herald
Police say they are frustrated the people targeted in the recent spate of Sydney shootings are not speaking up.
The comments followed two Sydney shootings in the past day in Arncliffe and Revesby.
The Revesby attack was the 12th Sydney shooting in three weeks.
"The majority of these incidents are drug-related," said Assistant Commissioner Frank Mennilli, the NSW Police South West Metropolitan Region Commander in a statement today.
He said the victims' reluctance to... (GunPolicy.org)
Homicide Down, Gun Crime Up as More Victorians Carry Firearms in 2011
31 August 2011
Herald Sun (Melbourne)
More than 400 people were robbed or assaulted at gunpoint in Victoria in the past year.
Gun robberies jumped more than 60 per cent to 190 incidents, while robberies involving a firearm rose 15 per cent to 240.
The gun crime surge outstripped a 2 per cent increase in knife assaults and robberies to 1725.
Acting Police Chief Commissioner Ken Lay was at a loss to explain the rise in gun crimes.
"We need to understand this better because we can't accept the fact that... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Seize 600 Guns from Licensed Dealer in Victorian 'Drug Turf War'
30 August 2011
Star (West Melbourne)
Notorious warring crime groups in the North-West have been "lawful customers" of a St Albans gun dealership, where police seized 600 firearms last week.
On Monday 22 August, officers confiscated hundreds of guns from the Leslie St business.
The 79-year-old owner is expected to face charges of firearms offences, false accounting and using false documents.
The operation was launched three weeks after a tip-off and a police audit, which discovered bookkeeping... (GunPolicy.org)
Shooters Party Angry at NSW Government's Refusal to Relax Gun Laws
26 August 2011
ABC News (Australia)
The Shooters and Fishers Party has fired a warning shot at the New South Wales Government, by voting against it on several key issues in State Parliament.
The party's two Upper House MPs are upset the Government will not back its bill to relax gun laws.
Their anger is so great a sign has been placed on the door of the party's Parliament office telling Government staff to go away.
"Government emissaries and personnel do not knock. Unsolicited door-to-door selling is... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Seize Hundreds of Firearms from Licensed Melbourne Gun Dealer
22 August 2011
ABC News (Australia)
Victoria Police have seized about 600 firearms and shut down a gun shop in Melbourne's north-west.
Police say officers raided the gun dealership at St Albans, after a two-week investigation.
Police say the investigation was sparked by an audit under an operation that focuses on the safe disposal and registration of firearms.
A 79-year-old St Albans man is being... (GunPolicy.org)
Melbourne Police Raid 21 Licensed Gun Owners, Seize 21 Firearms
21 August 2011
Sunday Herald Sun (Melbourne)
Police have vowed to "dry up the supply" of guns and ammunition in the northwestern suburbs after the past week's triple shooting that left two men dead and another in hospital.
Raids yesterday morning by detectives working in Taskforce Acer 17 netted firearms police feared could be passed to criminals.
The weapons were held legally by registered gun owners, but police intelligence revealed 20 had "connections to family or associates who were persons of interest to... (GunPolicy.org)
West Australian Police Asked to Explain Another Gun Licensing Bungle
17 August 2011
West Australian (Perth)
Police Minister Rob Johnson has demanded police explain another firearms licensing bungle after gun owners were asked to pay for licences that were later deemed invalid.
Sporting Shooters Association WA president Ron Bryant said hundreds of gun owners recently received licence renewal notices for the 2011-12 and 2012-13 financial years.
Police then sent letters saying there was a mistake and that requests for renewal fees for 2012-13 were invalid.
Mr Bryant said some... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,United Kingdom,Australia
UK Rioting Proves that Gun Control Is Not Crime Control
16 August 2011
Menzies House (Australia)
Peter Whelan demonstrates how gun control leads to greater crime as law-abiding citizens are no longer allowed to defend themselves:
"Armed shopkeepers fight back" (headline in Sydney Morning Herald Aug 11, 2011)
The comment from the manager of the Turkish Food Market, Greens Lane, Haringey, during last week's London riots, as reported by the Guardian News and Media Service, said it all. "I'm scared that the police and the government will attack us if we defend our... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Control Australia Says Government Is 'Helping Guns Proliferate'
14 August 2011
Herald Sun (Melbourne)
At least 20 rifles - including Brownings and Winchesters valued between $600 and $1500 each - can be won under the gun-lotto competition aimed at promoting the culling of foxes throughout the state.
FoxStop 2011 - an initiative of the Victorian Government's Future Farming Strategy, Field and Game Australia and the Sporting Shooters Association - is raffling the weapons.
It's believed up to six rifles have been won.
Gun Control Australia president John Crook... (GunPolicy.org)
Another Shooting at Indoor Firing Range in South Australia
12 August 2011
AdelaideNow (Australia)
A workplace investigation is underway at an indoor firing range after a man accidentally shot himself in the groin.
The incident at the Marksman Indoor Firing Range on Franklin St in the city happened when the man, 40, accidentally shot himself in the groin-upper leg area about 3.30pm.
An SA Police spokesman said the man was an employee at the firing range.
Paramedics treated him before he was taken to the Royal Adelaide Hospital in a stable condition, an SA... (GunPolicy.org)
Australian Police Charge MP's Husband With Storing Loaded Farm Gun
10 August 2011
Sydney Morning Herald
The husband of NSW MP Pru Goward will appear in court next month on a firearms charge following the discovery by police of a loaded gun and incorrectly stored ammunition at their farm yesterday.
David Barnett, who penned a biography of former prime minister John Howard and was a press secretary to Malcolm Fraser, was charged following a routine inspection at their Yass property at around 9am yesterday.
Mr Barnett's gun safe contained both a loaded rifle and... (GunPolicy.org)
Canberra Black Market Fed by Theft of Legal Guns, But Scope is Unknown
8 August 2011
Canberra Times (Australia)
The theft of legal guns is feeding Canberra's black market for firearms as authorities struggle to comprehend the scope of the illegal weapons trade in the territory.
ACT Policing has told The Canberra Times that a black market for guns exists in Canberra, but says its size is unknown.
Estimates put the number of illegal guns in Australia at between 400,000 and 700,000, compared to 2,675,785 licensed firearms.
Experts believe most black market guns have been stolen,... (GunPolicy.org)
South Africa,Brazil,Argentina,Australia,Mexico,United States,Canada,Africa,Sweden,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas
Canada Gun Lobby Influence on Foreign Policy: Arms Trade Treaty
3 August 2011
Embassy Magazine (Canada), Opinion
Canada has never been a strong supporter of international efforts to negotiate an effective Arms Trade Treaty. But in mid-July, it reversed its previous low-key but constructive role at the United Nations ATT preparatory meetings to become a potential treaty spoiler. All indications point to this change of heart arising from the domestic gun lobby's influence on Canadian foreign policy.
After years of preparation, member states of the United Nations will devote a month... (GunPolicy.org)
Increased Number of Gun Licences in Queensland Due to Fear of Robberies
29 July 2011
Brisbane Times (Queensland)
The number of new gun licences issued on the Gold Coast has risen 36 per cent in the past two years, nearly double the increase across Queensland, with one criminologist attributing the rise to fears over home invasions.
There are currently more than 155,000 firearm licence-holders in Queensland, 14,622 of whom are in the Gold Coast region.
The Queensland Weapons Licensing Branch issued 1294 new firearms licenses for the Gold Coast, Coomera and Logan in the 2009/2010... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Norway,Australia
Australian Gun Control Group Renews Its Call for Semi-auto Handgun Ban
26 July 2011
Herald Sun (Melbourne) / AAP
The National Coalition for Gun Control has renewed its call for a ban on semi-automatic handguns after the Norway massacre.
Coalition co-convenor Samantha Lee said semi-automatic longarms were deemed too dangerous and banned in 1996 after the Port Arthur massacre in which Martin Bryant shot dead 35 people.
But semi-automatic handguns remain available to sporting shooters.
"It only takes one person with a high-powered semi-automatic firearm and access to lots of... (GunPolicy.org)
Norway Shooting Should Force Semi-auto Handgun Ban - Australian Greens
25 July 2011
News.com (Australia) / AAP
The shooting spree in Norway should force Australia to ban semi-automatic handguns, Greens leader Bob Brown says.
More than 80 people were killed and scores more injured when a lone gunman opened fire on a Labour Party youth meeting on the island of Utoeya, near the Norwegian capital Oslo.
Senator Brown said reports the killer had used a semi-automatic handgun should force a re-think of Australia's laws.
"These would not necessarily be prohibited in Australia," he... (GunPolicy.org)
Rush of New Hunters Likely to Shoot Bushwalkers in NSW Australia
23 July 2011
Sydney Morning Herald
BUSHWALKERS and picnickers face a greater risk of being shot in NSW's state forests because the Coalition government has opened the gates to hunters, a Labor MP says.
In less than 110 days, the state government has approved 3832 restricted hunting licences for state forests, the opposition environment spokesman, Luke Foley, said yesterday.
"Over this term of government, at this rate, there'll be an extra 5000 hunters in our state forests," Mr Foley... (GunPolicy.org)
NSW Police Minister Rules Out Supporting Guns in Australian Schools
18 July 2011
Sydney Morning Herald
The Police Minister, Mike Gallacher, yesterday ruled out supporting changes to gun laws in NSW and said the state government would not consider introducing shooting as a sport into the school curriculum.
This was despite the Shooters and Fishers Party saying they had received an indication from the state government that it would largely support their firearms bill, which includes allowing shooting as a sport in NSW schools.
The Shooters MP Robert Borsak said he had... (GunPolicy.org)
Push for Shooting as a Sport in Schools in New South Wales, Australia
17 July 2011
Sydney Morning Herald
THE Shooters and Fishers Party has won the support of the O'Farrell Government to increase shooting as a sport in schools.
The gun control lobby and even some in the Coalition see the minor party's long-held ambition to get more guns into the hands of children as the price the government must pay for the support of Shooters MPs, Robert Borsak and Robert Brown. It relies on the pair to get its legislation through a hostile upper house.
At the top of their wish list is... (GunPolicy.org)
Australian 'Golden Gun' Cocaine Boss Sentenced for 10-yr Prison Term
13 July 2011
ABC News (Australia)
Alen Moradian pleaded guilty to importing between 40 and 60 kilograms of pure cocaine in 2006.
In Sydney's District Court today, Judge Andrew Haesler described Moradian as "a significant and senior middle manager" of the drug syndicate.
Prosecutors had argued the 36-year-old was the kingpin of the operation.
In sentencing the judge took into account Moradian's guilty pleas and his decision to surrender weapons including machine guns, a grenade launcher and... (GunPolicy.org)
Australian Police Exasperated with Queensland Gun Crime and Shootings
12 July 2011
Brisbane Times (Queensland)
Gold Coast police say they are becoming increasingly exasperated by gun crime on the glitter strip in the wake of another shooting.
The comments came as police charged a 29-year-old Gold Coast man with manslaughter over the death of another man in the early hours of this morning.
The body of the man, 34, was found in the middle of a suburban street in Gilston, about 20 kilometres west of Surfers Paradise, after a neighbour raised the alarm about 1.40am.
He bled to... (GunPolicy.org)
Australian Drug Lord Gives Up Gun Cache in Hope of Reduced Sentence
9 July 2011
Daily Telegraph (Sydney)
The Tony Soprano of Australia's cocaine trade has organised for a large cache of weapons to be handed in to police, a court has been told.
Alen Moradian - dubbed Tony Soprano by his wife - should be given a 45 per cent discount on his jail term because of the weapons handover and his plea of guilty, his barrister Phillip Boulten, SC, said.
"It is highly unlikely there has been a handover of guns like this since prime minister (John Howard) offered a gun amnesty to all... (GunPolicy.org)
European Union,Bulgaria,Russia,West Africa,Pakistan,France,Australia,United Kingdom,Canada,Germany,Italy,United States,Haiti,Côte d'Ivoire,Madagascar
Study Finds Small Arms Have Serious Impact on Fragile States
6 July 2011
Voice of America
A new study finds the global authorized trade in small arms, light weapons, and their ammunition is worth nearly $7.1 billion a year. In its annual report, the independent think tank, the Geneva Forum, also examines the serious impact small arms proliferation is having upon three so-called fragile states-Madagascar, Ivory Coast and Haiti.
Arms exporters
The survey finds in 2008, the United States, Italy and Germany topped the list of 14 top exporters of small arms... (GunPolicy.org)
Stolen Guns Could Soon Be on Sale on Australian Black Market - Police
5 July 2011
Fraser Coast Chronicle (Australia)
An arsenal of stolen guns is in the hands of criminals and could soon be on sale to the highest bidder on the Fraser Coast.
Six guns were stolen in the early hours of yesterday morning along with a car belonging to the guns' registered owner, who was preparing to transport them to a gun dealer in Brisbane.
The weapons were locked in secure receptacles inside the car and were not visible, a police spokesman said.
The missing weapons join those stolen when a firearm... (GunPolicy.org)
Pistol Range 'Shooting Hole' Could Curb Rent-a-gun Suicides - Oz Coroner
8 June 2011
Advertiser (Adelaide)
Julia Morris left the hospital that had treated her suicide attempt, bought a package deal at a shooting range and used the weapon to kill herself.
Raymond Jast finished work early, claiming illness, went to that same range, purchased a similar package deal and shot himself.
Yesterday, State Coroner Mark Johns said that every year doctors reported 800 people to police as being medically unsuitable to have a gun - but only 54 were currently banned.
Those people were... (GunPolicy.org)
Using Bullet-proof Screens could Prevent Shooting Range Suicides in Australia
8 June 2011
Sydney Morning Herald / AAP
A coroner has called for bullet-proof screens to be installed at all public shooting ranges to stop people turning the guns on themselves.
South Australian Coroner Mark Johns made the recommendation after inquiring into the deaths of two people in Adelaide who committed suicide at the Marksman Indoor Firing Range.
Mr Johns said a tethering device, that would hold the gun in a fixed position and prevent it from being turned around, or a screen that would only allow the... (GunPolicy.org)
Concerns Raising about Safety Loopholes in Australian Shooting Clubs
8 June 2011
Advertiser (Adelaide)
JULIA Morris left the hospital that had treated her suicide attempt, bought a package deal at a shooting range and used the weapon to kill herself.
Raymond Jast finished work early, claiming illness, went to that same range, purchased a similar package deal and shot himself.
Yesterday, State Coroner Mark Johns said that every year doctors reported 800 people to police as being medically unsuitable to have a gun - but only 54 were currently banned.
Those people were... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia's Tough Gun Laws Don't Prevent Criminals from Getting Guns
6 June 2011
Courier-Mail (Brisbane), Opinion
IT WAS in Austin, Texas, that I once visited a gun fair displaying sufficient weaponry to stage a medium-sized war and all for sale to those citizens claiming their constitutional right to bear arms.
The fair epitomised the US gun culture and laws, laws frequently lampooned by commentators for their laxity, the all-too-frequent random, multiple shootings hailed as proof that liberal gun ownership endangers the lives it is designed to protect.
Perhaps, but in... (GunPolicy.org)
Tragic Sequel After Sydney Gun Dealer Sold Bullets to Unlicensed Shooter
6 June 2011
Sydney Morning Herald
The offence may sound trivial but the consequences proved fatal. When George Petas, a licensed firearms dealer and official with the Sydney Pistol Club, sold two boxes of ammunition to an unlicensed shooter, he did not realise he was breaking the law, his lawyer told the court.
Seventy of the 100 rounds he sold for $16 were used in a so-called training shoot at the La Perouse range one day last August. But the unlicensed shooter, Shamin Fernando, 43, walked out of the... (GunPolicy.org)
Australian Gun Owner Shoots 5 Neighbours, Kills 3, Motive Unknown
30 April 2011
Sydney Morning Herald
Police are trying to establish a motive after an Adelaide man allegedly killed three of his neighbours and left a teenage boy and policeman fighting for life after a shooting spree.
A woman at the house in the suburb of Hectorville survived the bloodshed but her parents and husband were killed and her 14-year-old son was shot and seriously injured. An 11 year-old boy staying at the house survived injury after hiding in a bedroom.
The woman - who has not been named -... (GunPolicy.org)
Slow Erosion of Australian Gun Laws Presages Another Tragedy
28 April 2011
Sydney Morning Herald, Opinion
Fifteen years ago today, the largest gun massacre by a civilian - anywhere in the world - occurred in Tasmania. The weapons used by the Port Arthur murderer were designed for killing large numbers of people, and they delivered: 35 people lay dead and 18 wounded.
As a result of the tragedy, those weapons were banned from civilian ownership and more than 640,000 were bought back and destroyed. The rules applying to firearms in general were tightened, making it harder to... (GunPolicy.org)
Unique Shooters' Party Moves to Wind Back Gun Control in NSW, Australia
17 April 2011
Sydney Morning Herald
There were two MPs from the Shooters and Fishers Party in the NSW upper house before the state election and the same two are there now.
They are Bob Smith, who was re-elected last week on the 308th count of the vote, and Bob Borsak, who is known in shooting circles as "the Elephant Man" after bagging a bull pachydermata on a hunting trip to Africa.
When Parliament resumes on May 3, the two Bobs will begin their push for legislative changes to enhance the activities of... (GunPolicy.org)
Fury Over Shooters' Push to Allow Use of Silencers in New South Wales
16 April 2011
Sydney Morning Herald
A push by the state government body that regulates recreational hunting in NSW to overturn a ban on the use of silencers on hunting weapons has outraged gun control advocates who say they will end up in the hands of criminals.
The Game Council of NSW, which has close links to the Shooters and Fishers Party, is spending $25,000 to contract three researchers to "identify impediments to allowing the use of sound moderators on firearms in NSW for the purposes of hunting... (GunPolicy.org)
Victims' Groups Slam South Australia Police Handgun Exports to America
16 April 2011
Advertiser (Adelaide)
An SA Police deal to sell its second-hand guns to the American public has outraged victims' groups.
It flies in the face of Australia's laws aimed at preventing gun-related violence, victims' groups say.
The deal, struck in April 2008, means 2405 Smith & Wesson .357 revolvers were traded in after police changed to the new Smith & Wesson M&P40 semi-automatic pistols, retailing for $US569 ($540).
The guns were traded-in to maker Smith & Wesson, which then on-sells the... (GunPolicy.org)
Should Australian Police be Contributing to the Gun Death Toll in the USA?
14 April 2011
Croakey / Crikey (Australia), Blog
Should Australia be contributing to the gun toll in the USA?
It's a timely question for the Defence Export Control Office in the Department of Defence in Canberra, says Adjunct Associate Professor Philip Alpers, of GunPolicy.org at the Sydney School of Public Health, University of Sydney.
Philip Alpers writes:
If Canberra follows precedent, around 10,000 surplus Australian police firearms will soon be for sale in pawn shops and gun shops across the United States.
To... (GunPolicy.org)
Thousands of Used Australian Police Guns Headed for US Streets – Again
14 April 2011
Australian (Sydney)
Almost 10,000 Australian police-issue handguns will flood the American secondary arms market after two state police departments opted to trade in their old weapons rather than have them destroyed.
The Australian has learned that Victoria and South Australia struck deals with weapons manufacturer Smith & Wesson to export their surplus weapons to the US to reduce the cost of upgrading to semi-automatic pistols.
While NSW and the Australian Federal Police destroyed their... (GunPolicy.org)
