Firearm petitions receive more than 11K signatures
A pair of petitions on firearm regulations has received more than 11,000 signatures.
The petitions request that the Tasmanian parliament reject the introduction of a cap on the number of firearms an individual can legally possess and prioritise policies that target illegal firearms and criminal activity, rather than law-abiding licenced firearm owners/users.
The Liberals have indicated they will not seek to impose a cap on firearms, while Labor has proposed a cap of 10 firearms for primary producers.
Both petitions were tabled in parliament on Wednesday.
Petition Sponsor and Liberal Member for Lyons, Mark Shelton, welcomed the response.
“Our Government has taken a strong and considered approach to firearms reforms that target terrorists and criminals,” Mr Shelton said.
“We are progressing significant reforms to get guns out of the hands of criminals, keep Tasmanians safe, make Australian citizenship a requirement of firearm ownership, and accelerate the national firearms register.
“Speaking to Tasmanians at AGFEST and across my electorate of Lyons, the response has been loud and clear.”
Mr Shelton criticised Labor’s position on firearm reforms.
“Labor has sold out farmers, they've sold out regional Tasmania, and they've sold out recreational shooters.
“Our government is focused on keeping Tasmanians safe, while Labor is attacking law-abiding farmers and recreational shooters.”
Labor Police, Fire and Emergency Services spokeswoman Jen Butler said the Liberals are trying to scare farmers, hunters, and sporting shooters because they are too weak to show leadership on community safety.
“We will work constructively with the Parliament to deliver practical reforms that improve community safety while respecting the legitimate needs of primary producers, sports shooters, and recreational hunters,” Ms Butler said.
“The reforms we support do not stop lawful activities.
“They do not stop farmers from doing their work, sporting shooters from competing, or recreational hunters from participating in their sport.
“They put sensible safeguards in place, with a clear exemption process where a higher number of firearms can be justified.”

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Firearm caps for licenced shooters
These proposed caps & restrictions on law abiding firearms enthusiasts by the Labour dictators are nothing more than a distraction from their own failings to prevent the Bondi attack. The Labour government failed to keep the community safe & are now attacking gun owners to con the public that guns are the problem & they’re keeping society safe. It’s a typical Labour con job.
The Labor Party cannot be trusted
The Labor Party always tries to expand its own power. They attempt to make us believe that if we want to protect ourselves, we must surrender our rights to them. They cannot be trusted.
Tasmanian firearms laws
My comment would be that since Port Arthur we have firearms legislation that has been enforced and most of us weapons liscencie have abided by these laws, how ever labor and the greens will do anything for a vote without any “ why are we doing this” tand the thought that it’s to protect the public is not presented with any real facts. As has been said there more firearms in Australia now than at the time of port Arthur but there is also 11 million more people in Australia and per capita , firearms ownership has decreased . Probably where the issues lie are in left wing media, gun control australia ( who always lie) and politician looking for a vote
Government
Good job. Our government always thinks they are doing the right thing buy everyone but 9 times out of 10 they don't. We have people in government they have no idea about polices they put in place. Keep up the great work and don't let these thugs control every aspect of life.
Reforms
It's a simple solution. Illegal firearms and firearms in the hands of criminals is the problem. Capping numbers and taking firearms of licensed owners just dosent make sense. A buyback only gets guns from people the Police know already have. What does this achieve?
Illegal Firearms
All criminals who have in their possession an illegally manufactured or illegally imported and or obtained/stolen firearm should face a very long mandatory prison sentence of at least 20 years in custody and deportation upon their eventual release if they are a foreign national .
Only Australian Citizens who are fit and proper persons should be able to have access to licenced firearms.
Our security services should never have had their funding cut, and why can't our politicians and the recent Royal Commission even mention the words Radical Islam and Islamic Terrorism, why can't they see the Elephant in the room ?
Our politicians have failed us by allowing um-vetted peoples into our country that mean us harm that are not compatible with our beliefs and culture who will never assimilate and threaten our safety, our Government has failed our people and our security services, our citizens have been murdered by radical islamic terrorists and our useless politicians are trying to deflect their incompetence towards fit and proper licenced firearms owners, the political duopoly are finally realizing people have had a guts full of them and are protest voting with their feet hopefully leading to their political demise and an unavoidable Australian Labor Greens Liberal National Party political extinction event !
lazy governance
lazy governance
Islamic terrorism
The Left has done a great job on stealing the conversation away from the real problem & what has caused this conversation & that is Islamic terrorism! The conversation is focused on guns & gun reforms when it should be “What is the govt doing” to protect Australia from Islamic terrorists! As opposed to importing terrorism (isis brides / radicalised family members) & gun reforms.
Cap on firearm numbers
Attack unlicensed firearms holders. SSAA member are the easy target for scrunity.
Changes to Firearms Legislation in Tasmania
There are over a million more registered firearms in the hands of law abiding Australian citizens than there were in 1996. The homicide rate using firearms has continued to decline since around 1980 ( Source: ABS and AIC). There is no positive correlation between the two. The science and data do not support current Labour policy. If anything , many firearms in the hands of legitimate, fit and proper people is much safer for the community than one firearm getting into the hands of the wrong person.
The royal commission into the Bondi Massacre is highlighting the failures by our federal spy agencies and police forces at both state and federal levels. Poor communication, flaws in data management and sharing, and the inability to monitor and prevent firearms getting into the wrong hands are at the root of the problem.
Do our back-flipping Labour politicians just have their heads in the sand, or are they simply using this issue to enhance political ambitions? Every day gangland shoot-ups, fire bombings and violent home invasions are reported in the media. Our leaders appear to be barking up the wrong tree!
Better support for our current legislation with better policing and more police on the streets would be a good start. Preventing access and fear of being caught doing the wrong thing are often great deterrents to would-be criminals.
Continuing to punish the innocent is simply applying death by a thousand cuts to firearm owners and businesses. Caps on ownership and buybacks will likely cause shop owners to go out of business, supply of ammunition and firearms to dry up and we will be left to wither on the branch.
Sign petitions, become active members of sporting shooter groups and send them a clear message.
Capping number of firearms
A mad person (Port Arthur) and a fanatical b*stard (Bondi) high on ASIO list misuses the firearm - the peaceful and law abiding gun owners enjoying their hobby get punished. What a perverted form of government with a perverted sense of justice this is!