Australian residents are getting a taste of Police overreach as they have never seen before. Unfortunately, for firearms owners, this is something we know all too well.
TheNational Shooting Councilbroke the story that saw the Andrews Government make more bad changes to Victoria’s gun laws.
“The latest changes will allow police down to the rank of inspector to ban shooters from holding firearm licences for at least 10 years – for getting nothing more than a speeding fine”.
“People hit with a ban will also be subjected to warrantless searches of their homes or cars at any time, and barred from going to any place where guns may be stored or used”.
This is a major backward step for shooters – but the good news is that the NSC is well placed to fight this, which is whythey need your help.
The legislation that was introduced into the Victorian State Parliament by the state’s Police Minister, Lisa Neville, is called the Firearms and Other Acts Amendment Bill 2021.
As it stands, the bill proposes that the bans will be able to be put in place by officers at inspector level.
This includes inspectors in the firearms registry.
Once a ban is in place, the laws will allow any police officer to search the shooter, their home, their car or any person with the shooter, without a warrant.
How it would work
Imagine if you received a COVID or speeding fine.
From previous experience, Victoria Police has seen these as being sufficient to suspend firearms licences.
The new bans would permit bad ‘behaviour‘ – potentially simply having an argument over the fine or suspension – to be sufficient for an inspector to hit you with a ban.
This would subject you to searches until 2032 – and you would not be able to appeal the ban until 2027.
All for copping a simple fine. Or for no reason at all.
It also means you can’t go anywhere firearms are used or stored – which may be your local range, gunshop or even a friend’s or relative’s home where firearms are stored.
You also cannot change address without risking a year in jail if you don’t notify the police within 24 hours of moving.
You will also have no right of appeal for at least the first five years of the 10 year ban.
It means if a relatively junior officer of Victoria Police does not like your ‘behaviour’, you could easily find yourself getting one of Lisa Neville’s new bans.
Copping a COVID fine, for instance.
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