Issue link: http://ssaansw.uberflip.com/i/1059218
8 Sporting Shooters Association of Australia (NSW) Inc. Market Research General Population Survey Familiarity These responses point to knowledge of the law being an important factor in determining attitudes towards fi rearms ownership, so the survey asked people: How familiar are you with fi rearm laws that apply in NSW? In response, a clear majority of seven out of ten of the NSW public admitted to having a relatively poor level of understanding about the detail of fi rearms laws. This included 34% who knew 'very little about them', 17% who agreed they 'don't know much about them at all' and 18% who said they 'really don't know anything about them'. On the other hand, only one quarter thought they had 'a fair idea about them' (25%) and one in 20 felt they 'knew a lot about them (6%). This fi nding is also critical to fi rearms owners and policy makers because it suggests that the current attitudes of the general public towards fi rearms laws are not based on a solid understanding of the existing legal framework. NSW vs US The lack of understanding is also evident from answers to the question: What is your view about the differences between NSW fi rearms laws and US fi rearms laws? Most people (68%) knew the real situation was that NSW laws are much tougher than US laws in relation to fi rearms. However, three out of every ten people still did not know this, with one-quarter admitting that they 'really don't know the difference'. Individual laws In order to gain a more precise understanding of the level of knowledge among the general public in relation to fi rearms laws, the survey also presented participants with a simple question about the current legal situation: Here are 14 regulations that either currently apply to fi rearms ownership in NSW or are being considered for introduction as law. For each, please tell us whether you believe it already applies as law or not. The responses revealed a very patchy knowledge of some of the most important fi rearms laws. While 70% of people thought that police background checks were currently law, and 67% believed that storage laws were in place, only half the population or less recognised that nine out of the 14 laws were currently required.