Gun News Australia: the latest news for Aussie shooters

WA LEGAL ACTION WINS: Plus how shooters can use the upcoming Federal Election

PRO-GUN LEGAL ACTIONS in WA are nothing new.  So why has the large fundraiser to stop the state’s gun laws failed to deliver?
After weeks of stratospheric headlines and bullish promises - such as the release of legal advice and commencement of legal proceedings - we look at why none of this has occurred.   
They were specific promises with specific timeframes which appear not to have been met.
SO, to those many people who donated to the cause on the promises, you need to start asking the hard questions – before your money disappears.  
In the meantime, tens of thousands of shooters are caught up in the middle, facing new laws that come into effect on March 31, making them sitting ducks for the less scrupulous.PLUS we look at how WA shooters affected by the new laws can use the upcoming FEDERAL ELECTION to put pressure on WA Labor to find an exit strategy on gun laws.
Yes, guns are a state issue – but we reckon it’s worth giving Federal Labor a hard time, costing them votes in key seats.
WHO THE HELL IS CARLY?  We respond to an unwarranted and ill-informed attack by a Victorian who is playing the gender card in her attack on what shooting organisations have done for shooters.
Our response is a reminder that PR and SUA held the recent gun rally – and worked with others to hold the National Gun Conference – things which she failed to mention.
…AND what a successful pro-gun umbrella group looks like.
 
VOTING at the Federal Election?  Find out what your electorate is from the Australian Electoral Commission’s site at:  electorate.aec.gov.au
 
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WA ELECTION RESULT: The pro-gun rallies of yesteryear and Vic Duck Season OPENS!

WE LOOK AT this year’s Victorian duck season which is now underway – including the move to the reason for a Wednesday opening.
You can see our interview with Danny Ryan from the Victorian Duck Hunting Season at: https://youtu.be/1EAyxV2rXmo
THE WA ELECTION results are firming up, and we look at what it means – including the welcome election of a vocal pro-gun politician from the Liberal Party.   Plus how the SFFP blew their chances of getting a decent result.
GUN RALLIES from yesteryear really set the benchmark of what is possible, as shooting organisations around Australia struggle to deal with the surge of anti-gun laws peppering the landscape.
We look at the mood behind the 1988 and 1996 rallies, and the ‘no compromise’ attitude which used to prevail.  It’s definitely something that we need back, and why Politics Reloaded will be proposing be tabled at this year’s National Gun Conference.
PLUS we give a pat on the back to WA’s Louise Kingston MLC who was vocal at the WA Gun Rally and gave the state's shooters support that others wouldn't.
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WA LEGAL ACTION: Fact or fiction?

A PROMISE to fund legal action for shooters in Western Australia on the eve of having their guns taken off them, has raised concerns that shooters may not properly understand what is being offered.
A GoFundMe campaign, which has raised over $120,000, has been promoted as supporting “legal action”. 
Legal action means lawsuits – as in suing the state government over the new gun laws.
However, the fund won’t be doing that. Instead, it will provide shooters with “legal advice” on how they can fight the laws on their own. 
In other words, shooters seem to have been handing money hand-over-fist, possibly in the belief that there is a court case has been filed – which it has not.
TO BE CLEAR: “LEGAL ACTION” and “LEGAL ADVICE” are two very different things.
LEGAL ACTION INVOLVES COURT CASES.  LEGAL ADVICE DOES NOT.
Getting the messaging on this wrong can have serious consequences for shooters who are facing serious losses and may be confused about what these terms mean.
We understand some shooters are putting firearms in storage in the belief that there is a legal challenge that will help them before the deadline of 31 March. However, that does not seem likely to occur. This means shooters who rely on this could face serious legal problems if they don’t comply with the law on that basis.
We are not accusing anyone of making misrepresentations – but we do hope that shooters who are donating understand exactly what they are donating money to.  A letter.
IF YOU MADE a donation thinking that the fundraiser was for legal action, you might want to consider asking the organiser for a refund.
If you need legal assistance in relation to your situation concerning your firearms or licence, we recommend you seek independent legal advice.
 
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VICTORIAN DUCK SEASON: VDHA with the details of this year’s season – starting March 19

STARTING MARCH 19, Victorian duck hunters can once again head out into the wetlands in what is bound to be a great season, thanks to the Victorian Duck Hunting Association.
We cover everything you need to know about the season, including the politics around the announcement. 
IMPORTANTLY the VDHA’s Danny Ryan, covers how the new duck hunting laws will affect what you need to do when you renew your game hunting licence. 
The new laws came out of the  Inquiry into Victoria's recreational native bird hunting arrangements steered led by Labor. One outcome is the ban on lead shot. Another is the new training modules that anyone who holds a licence will need to undertake when they renew their licence. 
So, if you hold a game hunting licence, that means you.
The good news is we’ve got a full-length season with a nine-bag limit.   We also cover the starting times for both shooters and the antis.
VDHA’S work included holding information nights which it will continue to hold for hunters across Victoria. 
WE LOOK AT THE politics around the announcement - and what every shooter needs to do, which is to let their local MP know that they support hunting.
Even if they are anti-hunting, making your views known is important to make sure that they don’t blindly vote with the sentiment of the anti-hunting brigade.
For more information on the season, including closures, go to the Game Management Authority’s website at: gma.vic.gov.au
TO JOIN THE VDHA, simply go to vicduckhunters.com.au/membership. For $80 a year, you’ll get public liability insurance and access to heap of other benefits such as 10% discounts and deals from everything from kebabs to tyres.
Families, pensioners and others can join for even less!
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MEET THE 'OLD SSAA’: How things have changed.

** REMINDER – WA STATE ELECTION IS ON THIS SATURDAY, 8 MARCH **
JEFF POW’s father, Graham Pow, was a cofounder of the SSAA WA and its founding president.
He was one of a band of shooters who set the organisation up in the early 1970s when WA Police moved to impose impractical regulations - without consultation.
In a sense of déjà vu, Jeff turned up to the recent gun rally to provide support against WA’s new gun laws.  It was a fight ‘the old SSAA’ would have taken head on.
JEFF’S FATHER, Graham, also helped set up the Pinjar shooting complex, helped found the West Coast Pistol and Revolver Club and was active in the Jarrahdale SSAA.
His love for his sport wasn’t just shooting: Graham loved his old pistols, including his 445 Webley Revolver, and put his skills as an incredible woodworker and metal worker to good use.
JEFF continues to carry his father’s flag, citing that there ‘is no fire’ under the ‘new SSAA’ to support what WA shooters are facing now.
He talks about the need for the shooting community to come together and not be caught out ‘flat footed’. 
Jeff also talks about WA Police’s ‘unhealthy and provocative approach’ by sending SMSs to shooters – and encourages members of WA Police to not allow themselves to be used as political pawns.
VOTING THIS WEEK?
IF YOU’RE A SHOOTER voting in this week’s WA State Election, you need to watch this to find out who to vote for. 
We explain what ballot papers you’ll get, and what you need to know to vote against the new gun laws. 
The easy way to fill in the large ballot paper (for the upper house / Legislative Council) “above the line” is to Vote 1 for the Nationals or Liberals and then number the other parties in your preferred order.  
Or vote “below the line” with at least 20 boxes for your vote to be valid.  We recommend you:
Vote 1 for Louise Kingston (Group M);
Vote 2 for Ryan Burns (Libertarian Party);
Vote 3 for Steve Thomas (Liberal Party);
Vote 4 for Nick Goiran (Liberal Party);
Vote 5 for The Nationals etc … until you’ve numbered at least 20 boxes.
IF YOU’RE IN the lower house seat of Albany, vote for Tom Brough (Liberal Party), or if you’re in Darling Range, back Morgan Byas (National Party).
Don’t rush your vote: take just a couple of minutes to make sure you back the right candidates and parties.
WHATEVER you do, don’t vote Labor.  A vote for Labor is a vote to take your guns away from you.
 
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RALLY WRAP-UP: Plus, it’s time for WA shooters to vote

WE REVIEW THE RECENT GUN RALLY held in Perth, for those shooters who couldn’t make it.
David Brown from the Shooters Union Australia, talks about his role and observations on the  biggest pro-gun rally to be held in WA for years.
We talk about the rally being around twice as big as originally planned and the response from SSAA WA and WAFCA who launched into childish scare campaigns after giving up the fight. 
THIS RALLY was critical to the political future of shooting in WA.  It showed the major parties one month before an election of just how much of a vote-loser bad gun laws can be.
We also talk about voting at the election. Early voting has commenced, and the message to shooters is clear:  Talk to your friends, family and fellow shooters about kicking Labor out.
Otherwise we’ll also lose fishing, camping and four-wheel driving. If anything, we need the new laws “rolled back” – and explain how that would work.
WE’RE RECOMMENDING you take your time to vote – and don’t rush it.  
The easy way to fill in the large ballot paper (for the upper house / Legislative Council) “above the line” is to Vote 1 for the Nationals or Liberals and then number the other parties in your preferred order.  
Or vote “below the line” with at least 20 boxes for your vote to be valid.  We recommend you:
Vote 1 for Louise Kingston (Group M);
Vote 2 for Ryan Burns (Libertarian Party);
Vote 3 for Steve Thomas (Liberal Party);
Vote 4 for Nick Goiran (Liberal Party);
Vote 6 for The Nationals etc … until you’ve numbered at least 20 boxes.
IF YOU’RE IN the lower house seat of Albany, vote for Tom Brough (Liberal Party), or if you’re in Darling Range, back Morgan Byas (National Party).
Don’t rush your vote: take just a couple of minutes to make sure you back the right candidates and parties.
WHATEVER you do, don’t vote Labor.  A vote for Labor is a vote to take your guns away from you.
 
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THEY WERE ‘COWERING IN THE CORNER’: The WA MP who stood up against the establishment for shooters

LOUISE KINGSTON takes no prisoners when it comes to working hard to helping shooters out west.
The firebrand upper house MP speaks on why she addressed the recent WA Gun Rally, despite attempts by others to silence her.  She explains that there was nothing to gain by having shooters ‘cowering in the corner’, and why it was important that shooters made a stand in the lead up to the WA state election.
Louise also talks about her plan to improve the way Western Australian shooting groups are represented, through the establishment of a dedicated commission. It's a plan to help shooters dodge the new laws in WA which will otherwise come into effect no matter who wins the election. 
** Her plan means shooters could be unaffected by the laws - and it won’t cost them government cent. **
Her plan is to create a ‘bridge’ between now, and whenever the new laws can be repealed and rewritten to make them far more reasonable.
We also discuss how the state’s new voting system works, and we reveal our voting advice for shooters, with early voting starting on Monday 24 February.  Our recommendations are:
Vote 1- Louise Kingston (you'll find her in the independent column at "Group M")
Vote 2 - Steve Thomas (Liberal Party) and / or Nick Goiran (Liberal Party - "Group C")
Vote 3 - Ryan Burns (Libertarian Party)
Vote 4 etc - pro-gun parties, then the Nationals and rest of the Liberals
Vote last - Labor then the Greens. However, remember you can stop at box number 20 if you wish, for your vote to count.
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TOM BROUGH: Meet the WA Liberal Party candidate who is willing to stand up for shooters

TOM BROUGH is a Liberal Party candidate standing for the seat of Albany in WA’s March State Election.
He’s not only a shooter, but passionate about standing up for shooters when needed.  We talk about what he’s hearing from shooters, including those from local clubs in his area.
Albany is a marginal seat: if you live in that area, then this is a ‘must watch’ for you. It’s also a must watch for other Liberal Party MPs or candidates who are unsure about the gun issue – or what this fight is about. 
It’s an issue we would strongly recommend candidates brush up on as the election – and the WA gun rally on 8 February – approach.
JOIN us in this milestone of being our 50th episode of Gun News Australia.
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FROM ITALY TO WA: IPSC shooter, Giuseppe, explains what he could do in Italy – that he won't be able to do here

PASSIONATE ITALIAN-BORN SHOOTER, Giuseppe Mottalini, explains how WA’s new gun laws will affect him.
He explains his shooting background in Italy, and how he’s stepped into Labor’s cultural war that threatens to destroy shooting in his home state.
Giuseppe explains why he’s going to the WA Gun Rally on 8 February – to protest against a government that wants to destroy his way of life.  He also talks about the confusion that some shooting organisations have created over it, for their own selfish reasons.
It’s pretty straight forward: shooters need to protest against the new laws – and this is their opportunity to get heard.
Join the rally
The rally will be held at 10:30am on Saturday 8 February 2025, at the Supreme Court Gardens.
For updates on the rally, sign up at tinyurl.com/WAGunRally  
Getting there is easy
Perth has public transport terminals within easy walking distance of the gardens.   They are:  
  Perth Train Station - Wellington Street;
  Elizabeth Quay Train Station - Mounts Bay Road;  
  Elizabeth Quay Bus Station - Mounts Bay Road;
  Transperth Ferry - Barrack Street Jetty;
  Terrace Road Carpark - Terrace Road.
There is public parking just next door to the venue. However, we’d recommend coming in by train if you can, just in case finding a park becomes tricky.
You can get more information on Perth’s public transport network from TransPerth at https://www.transperth.wa.gov.au/
Before you go….
In addition to going to the rally, we’re asking shooters to make one phone call – to WA Labor’s head office. 
The more calls they get, the more they’ll realise just how many people are genuinely upset by the new laws - and how many votes this is going to cost them.
Their number is (08) 9328 7222.  Tell them:
You’re a gun owner
You’re supporting the rally on 8 February
You’re going to vote Labor out
Be polite. Remember that the people you speak with are simply employees doing their job. 
Don’t take it out on them.
However they’ll be able to tell those who thought they could get away with this, just how bad the situation is becoming for them.
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WA GUN RALLY: What, when, where – and how to get there

SHOOTERS ACROSS WA are about to take a stand against a reckless Labor Government and vindictive police minister.
The rally is being organised by Shooters Union Australia and Politics Reloaded after being asked to do so by members of the Sporting Shooters Association of Australia WA who felt their organisation had given up the fight.
YOU KNOW the story: the new Firearms Act is a disgrace. Its legislation designed to take what you love to do away from you.
THE RALLY WILL send a simple message to shooters of the need to VOTE LABOR OUT at the March State Election. 
The issue of gun laws was already a problem for Labor: many of you have already made your thoughts known to the candidates.  However, the rally seems to be the flare that has finally been shot into the air for them.
In fact, Labor now has operatives who set up fake pro-gun Facebook profiles to discredit the rally – but they’ve acted too late. This already looks like being the biggest pro-gun rally since ’96. 
It’s also indictive of why so many shooters are becoming ‘one issue voters’, not only in WA, but in other states and territories because of similar attacks there.
WE SPEAK WITH David Brown from Shooters Union Australia about the rally’s beginning, what we are looking to achieve and the response so far.
We also give Perth City Council a thumbs up for their approach to this rally – and thank the way Western Australian Police have managed this so far.
How to get to the rally
Getting there is easy.  Perth has public transport terminals within easy walking distance of the gardens.   They are:  
  Perth Train Station - Wellington Street, Perth 
  Elizabeth Quay Train Station - Mounts Bay Road, Perth 
  Elizabeth Quay Bus Station - Mounts Bay Road, Perth 
  Transperth Ferry - Barrack Street Jetty, Perth 
  Terrace Road Carpark - Terrace Road, Perth 
There is public parking just next door to the venue. However, we’d recommend coming in by train if you can, just in case finding a park becomes tricky.
You can get more information on Perth’s public transport network from TransPerth by clicking here.
Before you go….
In addition to going to the rally, we’re asking shooters to make one phone call – to WA Labor’s head office. 
The more calls they get, the more they’ll realise just how many people are genuinely upset by the new laws - and how many votes this is going to cost them.
Their number is (08) 9328 7222.  Tell them:
You’re a gun owner
You’re supporting the rally on 8 February
You’re going to vote Labor out
Be polite. Remember that the people you speak with are simply employees doing their job. 
Don’t take it out on them.
However they’ll be able to tell those who thought they could get away with this, just how bad the situation is becoming for them.
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