Owen Guns Bulletin Edition 88 January 2014

‘A’ Bolt Browning Most popular calibre’s in stock.


Mossberg Sporter MVP .223 rem takes AR15 Magazines 2o inch HV Barrel. $1025.00 plus post

Thoughts for the Week.

The Silence is Deafening.

Well it’s a New Year, 2014 I hope its is a happy one for all Australia shooters. Over 17 years since John Howard took our freedoms away.  Most of us see the battle on firearm legislation in the USA and well know the strength of the arguments to our side, but what is happening here in Australia are we winning or losing, are we ever going to wind back this tyranny that has been imposed on our law abiding citizens?

We celebrate Australia Day, while some of our shooting brothers and sisters wait 13 months for a licence application. I love Australia Day but really what do we have to feel good about. We live here in Queensland under the Police dominated parliament that has to do what its told, or the skeletons will be raised by the boys in blue.

Many shooters long for an association like the USAs NRA to unify all Australian shooters together. Thirty years ago we thought we had that organisation with the SSAA. I was on the State executive for 8 years, a Branch President for 10 years and formed many branches in Queensland. I was popular executive member until I opposed full time paid  jobs, funded by grants from government and asked to see the real financial figures, proper balance sheets. Then my membership renewal was not processed they wanted me to go to the next annual general and remove me, send me home, as not financial. Luckily, I knew my card had not been returned and after many months and phone calls I was told, I was on Vice Presidents list for none processing of cheques. Calls to the Treasurer  only received denials and lies. I am telling this story as I was one of the first to be assassinated this way. In slightly different circumstances they have removed many other long time voluntary workers for the SSAA.

Not long after, dissatisfied shooters, many from the SSAA formed the Firearm Owners Association of Australia, not as a shooting association but as a lobby group that was not dependent on the government. (This bulletin goes to those members and many thousands of other shooters.)

Other shooters long time members of the SSAA who were assassinated similar to the method above. (Like me 20 years working with my best friends, then OUT.) Yes like me, they could have taken them to the Supreme Court for a Judicial Review, but how do you sue and tear down an association that has in its history done so much good for shooters, how do you attack an association that you have helped create.
At that time shooters realised it was fatal to put all your eggs in one basket like the NRA, in the Australian context, as if that association is sabotaged at the top, we all go to sleep and cop all the legislation the government can dream up to harass you. Like minded shooters formed the Shooters Union to take up the slack.

At present with the numbers of numerous shooting associations, who have large memberships, they could if they wished scream the tottering Queensland parliament to it’s knees. At Election times the politicians are even more vulnerable, the Associations could easily afford to put little adverts in all local papers suggesting that shooters ask their politicians for their views and vote accordingly. The last time this happened is 31 years ago when the SSAA under the wise guidance of President Carl Vandal and Secretary Terry Beach, sealed the demise of Labour leader Keith Wright, (later convicted of Paedophile acts ) Since that time the silence is deafening. Nothing from any of them.
Last year we had a brilliant opportunity, the Police ran the Amnesty 20,000 firearms were registered to shooters without the PTAs. PTAs are expensive and are useless, as the police do not even get the information from the application forms correct on their PTAs or registers. The State register is a waste or energy, never saved a life, or solved a crime, but the information within it is flawed and the police have no will or time to correct it.

This Bulletin caused a radio interview between myself and the Police Minister Jack Dempsey who was embarrassed into saying, ‘he would look into it’. Nothing happened.
FOAA members wrote to their local members, the Police Minister and his permanent head of department wrote to our local MPs and lied and stated that it had been put before the Ministers Panel, when on enquiry we found that it had not. If they can register 20,000 without PTAs why are we still having them imposed on us. Why are we still paying each time for our rights.  Besides the fact that the Lib Nat government promised that it would remove at least 20% red tape. Nothing has happened to wind back the paperwork created by the Weapons Act. They say that issuing of PTAs has improved but Owen Guns still has nearly 150 customers waiting for PTAs. What has our shooting association done to pressure the government on this issue in 2013. Nothing. The Silence is deafening.
In my last Bulletin I reported that Halls Firearms, Townsville and Rockhampton, owned by Dave Kelly, (he used to play football with the Police Minister Jack Dempsey, so was appointed to the Minister Firearm Panel) has been allowed to process firearm sales, just on the spot with a Form 10s without a PTA. (As we did in the Amnesty) if they have had one in that same calibre to hand in. Allowing shooters in Townsville to change their firearms without a PTA.
I imagined and hoped that the SSAA, the Small bore Association, the Pistol Associations, the QRA,  or the Shooters Union would have been up in arms that shooters in Townsville can operate without a PTA and the rest of the state has not got this advantage. I hoped that Dealers Association would be up in arms that one dealer a friend of the Minister, can have this special privilege, but none of their other members could. This ‘favouritism’ should have provoked a media response. Embarrassment which could force this advantage to apply through – out the State. No nothing, The silence is deafening.

Our fellow shooters are waiting four to six months for licences and slow PTAs are still upsetting lots of shooters. They are warriors in our cause, we have to direct them, one complaint for them is a complaint that benefits all shooters. Complaints should be directed to the State MPs. They are under huge pressure due to the silly laws that the Police are forcing on the Parliament. The Police are running the state not our MPs this has to be exposed and we can gain lots of traction on this point, politicians are the police puppets and they are not doing their job properly. Fining people for having there window wound down to far, or having a pair of work boots in the back of the ute, or a bag on the front seat, or chin strap too slack, are the same type of offences against the ‘State’ (Control and revenue raising) as offences like licence renewal or registration, or a pocket knife in a public place. They are not offences against the people they are offences created  to control you.

If we do not do anything about it, and start screaming for justice for all, especially shooters, then we will  deserve our fate, if our associations continue to be silent, they will be just another parasite like the SSAA who on the pretense of looking after shooters interests, have been milking shooters for years. They get the dollars they should be providing the leadership.
We have a State election coming next year. We have to be throwing tomatoes at what the government system is doing to our fellow shooters. The time is now 2014. Not next week or the next Meeting. The enemy will never be more vulnerable than now. Silence is playing their game.

Ron Owen.

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