I am writing to you to express my utter disapproval of the Australian Government in allowing the debacle surrounding Adler lever action shotgun to go this far. The classification review of the Adler from the start of the importation ban until now is making Australia the laughing stock of western nations of the world. The media is now reporting the rumour that the NSW Cabinet together with other states and territories are now in favour of moving the version of the Adler with a seven round magazine capacity to Category D at the December COAG meeting.

This is totally absurd and goes way too far and will open a Pandora’s box of future complications within Australia’s gun laws as gun after gun is then emotionally targeted for ban and confiscation. I use the words ban and confiscation as this is what category D amounts to. I have experienced the highly restrictive nature of Australia’s current gun laws as I have tried repeatedly for the last two and a half years to obtain a Category C firearm licence for feral pest management primary production purposes. I am a fit and proper person to own, use and store Category C firearms at home for other purposes yet can’t obtain one of the most readily available firearms worldwide.

It certainly appears that horrific events carried out by a number of criminals in Australia have led to knee jerk responses guised as “advice” that seemingly have been planned for years now in secret by a “working group” of bureaucrats.

–             The discussion in Australia in relation to firearms in recent times has been categorised by misunderstanding, misinformation and an emotional conversation which is not necessarily based in facts. The government reaction to the import of lever action shotguns has not been well considered and lacks any logical, evidence based approach.

Here are some facts:

• The Adler A110 is no different than any other lever action firearm originally designed in 1887.
• There is no record of a crime ever being committed in Australia with a lever action firearm
• The Adler A110, if shortened as desired by criminals, would become useless due to its design
• There are many, many other firearms legally available in Australia with a magazine capacity higher than five shots all of which pose no bigger threat to public safety than any other firearm.
•  The criminal who carried out the Lindt Café siege was unlicensed and used an unregistered and already highly restricted Category C/D Pump Action shot.
•  Why are you not focussing your leadership efforts and tax payer funds on dealing with criminals as we continue to see illegal guns being imported or manufactured in clandestine operations
•  There are 1.9 million licence records and over 5 million firearms in Australia according to the 2014 -2015 Crimtrac Annual report.
•  Could you please answer the following questions for me:
• How will further laws or restrictions, which only impact on licenced firearms owners, have any impact on criminal activity?

What research or fact based evidence is able to be provided that the 1996 NFA classification, or any subsequent 2016/2017 reclassification of various firearms will provide any increase to public safety in Australia?

How much does it cost to administer Australia’s state based firearms registry’s which are clearly not effectively adding to public safety and actually represent a high risk of data being accessed for criminal purposes.

I request that you provide me with a written response that answers the above questions and concerns rather than sending me the same generic response I am receiving from the majority of politicians I write to.

Take a close note of the Orange NSW election results as if you proceed to reclassify the Adler A110 to Category C/D you will experience this result repeatedly across Queensland and the rest of Australia when it’s estimated 1 Million plus firearms licence holders unite together with their families and friends to send you a loud and clear message.

Many thought Brexit would not happen…it did.

Many doubted Trump would become president… he will soon be.

Australian politicians have stopped listening to those that put them in power and if you don’t start to wake up and start a conversation with your constituents, you will be in for a rude awakening at the next state and federal elections. You will certainly not receive my vote or that of those that I have the ability to educate or influence on these issues.

I believe that Dr Samara McPhedran of Griffith University is correct in her article that explains that the regulation of people who can meet the definition of a “fit and proper” person should be the focus when considering the effectiveness of Australia’s gun laws as opposed to always focussing on the categorisation and effective ban of certain types of firearms. Source: https://theconversation.com/regulating-people-not-just-guns-might-explain-australias-decline-in-mass-shootings-44770

I very much value having the freedom to enjoy the lawful use of firearms for my occupation, recreational, hunting and sporting purposes and I resent my good standing reputation in the community being tarnished and somehow linked to unlicensed criminal activities carried out with unregistered firearms.

I will continue to ensure that my vote at future elections only goes to those members who I am certain will actually represent my values and ensure Australia once again can be a free country where its citizens who are responsible and upstanding members are rewarded, not punished while those members who will actually take action against criminals and address the actual issues at hand.

I urge you to reject any attempt to reclassify lever action shotguns into a higher category at this Fridays COAG meeting. Any further mistreatment of licenced firearms owners will trigger huge political consequences.