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 Last updated:  on Tuesday, 09 February 2010 at 09:31 AM      Press  [F5]  to reload page.

 

SSAA-SA statement: They're back! Regulated Imitation Firearms are again Illegal!

 

Impossible shots ─ The Old Sniper

It was a simple question 84-year old Ted Gundy put to the guys at Shooting USA's Impossible Shots: "How is it possible for snipers today to hit targets from such long ranges?" From most of us, it would have been a gee-whiz kind of question, the kind that gets a polite "thanks for watching, snipers use...." kind of form letter response. But Ted Gundy wasn't just another TV fan. Gunday was asking about today, based on his own experiences from yesterday. In 1944, Ted Gundy was an army sniper fighting World War II in Europe. More specifically, fighting in the cold and horrible conditions of the Battle of the Bulge, the definitive name in United States Army combat - still the largest battle ever fought by United States troops....

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More feral pigs outnumber humans in Australia

Giant feral pigs roaming the eastern fringes of Perth, Western Australia are contaminating the city's drinking water - sparking an official cull. The Perth Sunday Times reports parasites from pig excrement have been found in surface-water catchments and Water Department director John Ruprecht said it cost millions of dollars to treat and purify the water once it had been contaminated. The feral pigs, which reportedly weigh up to 120kg, are being caught in traps and then shot. Ruprecht said there were more feral pigs than people in Australia, with 24 million of the beasts compared to a human population of about 21 million....

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South Australia's history of spectacular clashes....

South Australia's history of spectacular clashes between politicians, the judiciary and the media found a new chapter this week when a mess of eggs ended up on the face of the Attorney-General, forcing a humiliating backflip over internet censorship. The episode centred on a package of amendments to the Electoral Act, decreeing that online comments posted during a state election must show the real name and postcode of the person posting them. Website hosts would be required to retain that information for six months after the election, or risk a fine. The restrictions could even apply to social sites such as Facebook and Twitter....

 

Don't worry, be happy, says state's Attorney-General

South Australia’s Labor tacticians were in panic. With an election in just six weeks, the state’s Attorney-General, the irascible Michael Atkinson, hit the headlines in a way that could make an experienced campaigner crawl into a cave and roll a rock over the entrance. Atkinson was derailing four years of work by Premier Mike Rann and his team to be comfortably returned on March 20. On March 5 last year, Atkinson introduced legislation to change the SA Electoral Act. Parliament went nuts. Even in the Lower House the Government amended its own Bill to water it down a little.

When the Bill arrived in the Upper House the Government leader, Paul Holloway, sensing trouble, assured the House that full disclosure of names and addresses “applies to the internet to electronic versions of a journal rather than any electronic publication on the internet”. On that basis, the Opposition and Greens passed that part of the Bill, and on the insistence of the Liberal Opposition, election posters on Stobie poles would not be banned until after this election. But after Parliament agreed to these changes, with amendments, Atkinson said the new Act actually does include blogs, Twitter and comments to news sites like The Independent Weekly website....

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Election 2010 ─ New poll puts Liberals in front

A poll of 539 voters state-wide on Wednesday night puts the Liberals back in the election race and capable of forcing an upset victory on March 20. In a major blow for the Government, only 34 per cent of people polled said they trusted Mr Rann. Fifty-one per cent said they trusted Liberal Leader Isobel Redmond. It is the first time an Advertiser poll has asked which leader is regarded as more trustworthy. After the distribution of preferences, the two-party vote is 52 per cent to 48 per cent in favour of Labor. Ms Redmond's approval rating has leapt to 75 per cent, the same as Mr Rann's, who only months ago had a rating of 81 per cent....

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In Britain, a citizen is attacked in their own home by a violent burglar every 30 minutes

Recent statistics from Britain indicate that a citizen is attacked in their own home by a violent burglar once every 30 minutes. In a knee-jerk reaction to a pair of high-profile shootings, the British government enacted strict gun control at the national level. These anti gun laws went as far as to ban the .22 target pistols used by the British Olympic Pistol Team, forcing those athletes to go to Switzerland and France to practice their sport. However, the gun ban laws didn’t stop criminals from acquiring and misusing guns. Instead, British criminals buy their guns the black market, or simply manufacture their own illegal guns. Crime statistics reflect this fact, showing a 40% increase in handgun related crime in the first two years after the gun ban took effect, and a doubling of gun-related crime in the first decade after the gun ban took effect....

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Police advise, 'don't resist armed offender'

South Australian police are hunting a dangerous man they blame for five armed robberies in the past 10 days. Operation Counteract detectives are blaming the same offender for hold-ups on service stations and shops at Pooraka and Virginia in northern Adelaide.

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Attorney General  will move to repeal censorship law immediately

Attorney-General Michael Atkinson will move immediately to repeal controversial laws which sparked an outcry over censorship of the internet. After backing down late last night to say the laws would not be put into effect, Mr Atkinson told reporters he would follow the advice of Opposition legal affairs spokeswoman Vickie Chapman and use a section of the Electoral Act to immediately repeal the section. Earlier, Mr Atkinson said it would be repealed but could not do it until after the election and had promised that no action would be taken against internet users during the election campaign. But after comments from Ms Chapman that it could be done, Mr Atkinson said he had decided to act immediately and paid tribute to Ms Chapman for her suggestion....

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SSAA Para Branch website set to come on line tonight ─ February 3rd. 2010

New SSAA Para Branch website will come on line tonight, February 3, 2010. The site will be available by clicking on this link:

SSAA Para Branch.

 

State AG will repeal internet censorship law ─ after the state election

South Australia's Attorney-General Michael Atkinson has made a "humiliating" backdown and announced he will repeal his law censoring internet comment on the state election. After a furious reaction (from voters), Mr Atkinson released this statement at 10pm last night: "From the feedback we've received through AdelaideNow, the blogging generation believes that the law supported by all MPs and all political parties is unduly restrictive. "I have listened. I will immediately after the election move to repeal the law retrospectively." Mr Atkinson said the law would not be enforced for comments posted on (websites) during the upcoming election campaign, even though it was technically applicable....

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[NSW] Bandido charged with lying over club membership

A high ranking bikie has been charged with lying about his membership of the Bandidos outlaw motorcycle gang. Police allege the 28-year-old last month signed a statutory declaration declaring he had left the Bandidos. But he was arrested in Parramatta yesterday after investigations by Strike Force Raptor found he was still a member of the club....

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Salisbury Downs shooting: Three men sought
Adelaide police have cordoned off a street at Salisbury Downs as they hunt three

men over a shooting. Residents of Antrim Street reported hearing two shots just after 7:30am ACDT. An injured man, 32, has been rushed to the Royal Adelaide Hospital and is in a stable condition with a wound to the thigh....

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SA Govt defends internet 'censorship'

South Australia's Attorney-General has defended tougher laws on political comment

made on the internet. During election periods, anyone posting comment or blogs must publish their real name and postcode. Michael Atkinson says it has long been a requirement that newspapers verify personal details for letters published during election periods. He says the new law, which has applied since early last month, ensures the public's right to know. "[It's really about] the right to know who's making a comment during an election period," he said. "It will only apply to newspapers and extensions of newspapers....

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 Regulated Imitation Firearms Update

 

The regulations disallowed by Parliament in November have been reinstated by the government in near identical form. The amnesty has ended, so if you have not done something about your non-firearm look-alikes by now, you may be on the wrong side of the law.

Read carefully sub paragraph (2) below and apply it to any imitation firearm you possess. If you think it may be caught by the definition, the only way you can retain it is to have a Firearms Licence that is endorsed for an imitation firearm of the class that it emulates and it must be registered to you.

5—Certain imitation firearms included within definition of firearm

(1) Pursuant to paragraph (c) of the definition of firearm in section 5(1) of the Act, a regulated imitation firearm is declared to be a firearm for the purposes of the Act.

(2) A regulated imitation firearm is—

(a) an item that contains a mechanism that imitates

the  loading mechanism or firing mechanism of a firearm; or

(b) an item that is an imitation of the receiver of a firearm,

other than—

(c) an item that is a children's toy or a novelty item; or

(d) an item determined by the Registrar under subregulation (3)

not to be a regulated imitation firearm.

(3) The Registrar may, on application or on the Registrar's own

initiative, determine that a particular item is not a regulated imitation

firearm if satisfied that the item cannot readily be adapted to function as a firearm.

(4) The Minister may, by notice in the Gazette, declare an item of a

specified class to be a regulated imitation firearm (and such a notice has effect according to its terms despite subregulation (2)).

(5) The Minister may, by subsequent notice in the Gazette, vary or revoke a notice made under this regulation.

All this is very well, but SAPOL Firearms Branch appears not particularly well prepared to administer the continued ownership of “Regulated Imitation Firearms”. They apparently have not comprehensively advised the desk staff at local Police Stations and have been unable to provide specific answers to questions about Licence applications and Registration.

As far as we are aware, some collectors and retailers have had their items appraised by SAPOL and been given a "letter of comfort" to the effect that the items they have been deemed not to be "regulated imitation firearms". However, we are not in possession of the criteria, in addition to what is in the Regulations, that is being used.

Suggestions for Members (Assuming the Amnesty period has ended)

(The Association takes no responsibility for any action that may result in loss to a person from following these suggestions, as there is a huge lack of certainty caused by the Regulations an inability of SAPOL to provide comprehensive advice. This does not constitute legal advice.) 

  1. Assess your possessions yourself and decide if any are likely to be classed as "regulated imitation firearms".

  2. If you are absolutely certain that an item does not fall into the "regulated imitation firearms" class, you may choose to do nothing. However, we advise you to have the item(s) inspected by SAPOL Firearms Branch for certainty and ask for their decision in writing to keep as your evidence.

  3. If you are unsure if any item is a "regulated imitation firearm", you must have it inspected to be certain one way or the other. CAUTION If the amnesty period has expired, and it is deemed to be a "regulated imitation firearm", expect to have it confiscated and other action possibly taken against you. At best, you may be permitted to apply for an appropriately endorsed Firearms Licence and allowed to register it. If in doubt, put it in the hands of a Firearms Dealer and go through the process without it in your possession. The penalties for possessing an unregistered firearm (or "regulated imitation firearm") are extreme.

  4. If you are sure it is a "regulated imitation firearm", put it in the hands of a Firearms Dealer for safe keeping and make application for an endorsed Firearms Licence and lodge an Application to Acquire that "regulated imitation firearm".

Your Association, SSAA (SA) Inc, will be continuing to try to look after the interests of Members and firearms owners at large by working with the Combined Shooters and Firearms Council of SA in efforts to resolve the issues through legal, political and administrative means.

 

SSAA (SA) opposes government's regulations on 'imitation firearms'

 

South Australian shooting associations have banded together to oppose the regulations banning replica non-shooting firearms introduced by the SA Government on October 1. Regulation 4(ja) says :

"imitation firearms that closely resemble a firearm referred to in a preceding paragraph or that do not closely resemble such a firearm or a firearm of

class A, B, C, D or H;"

The organisations which sponsored the advert claim:

"Such a wide-ranging definition will, regardless of the stated intentions of the Police; make illegal a multitude of non-firearms that present no risk to the community. Many hundreds, if not thousands of people will be disadvantaged and subject to huge costs or penalties for no good reason, and those wishing to keep and therefore comply will be subjected to the onerous conditions of firearms licensing and police surveillance."

The advertisement was inserted by and on behalf of the following:

The Sporting Shooters Association of Australia (SA) Inc., South Australian Revolver and Pistol Association, Antique and Historical Arms Association of South Australia, South Australian Target Pistol League, South Australian Field and Game Association, Adelaide Pistol and Shooting Club and Associated bodies, International Practical Shooting Confederation, Military Arms Preservation Society, Hellenic Shooting Sports Association of SA Inc., Heritage Arms, Firearms Traders Council, Security Shooters, Port Lincoln Firearms Collectors Club.

Click to see the advert

 Update:  With an increasing number of MP's speaking out against the regulations, the government and police are mounting an extensive publicity campaign to justify the retention of the ban with supportive articles in the Sunday Mail and The Advertiser.

 

The Commonwealth Government is set on introducing an internet filter joining with  repressive regimes like those in China and Iran.

 Click here...

to send your MP a fax protesting against the government's plans to decide what you should access on the internet.

It's as easy as typing an email - and imagine the consternation when an unending stream of faxes arrive at your MP's office, even if the MP is an opposition member.