SSAA NSW

Sporting Shooters Association of Australia (NSW) Inc. 3 It was very refreshing to see NSW Deputy Premier and Police Minister Troy Grant set the record straight in his recent interview. Minister Grant highlighted that the issue is with illegal guns and not law abiding firearms owners. He said 'The NSW government has made it clear… that our problem in relation to firearms and crime is not registered firearms. It is an illegal firearms, illegal guns issue.' The Minister also clarified that 'greater than 97 percent of firearm incidents reported in NSW relate to unregistered or unmarked firearms.' The 2014 Greens-led Senate Inquiry into 'The ability of Australian law enforcement authorities to eliminate gun-related violence in the community' found no evidence to suggest that firearms stolen from licensed owners is the predominant source of supply for criminals or the black market. In fact, the Senate Inquiry report signed by the majority of Committee members found that 'The hypothesis that illegal guns are mainly stolen from registered gun owners was not supported by the evidence presented to the Committee.' SSAA NSW, along with its members, has long been working to educate the media, decision makers and general public on the difference between law abiding firearms owners and the use of illegal firearms for criminal activity. It seems, despite the deceptive and misleading efforts of the anti-gun movement, including Gun Control Australia and the Greens, this message is finally getting out there. It was also pleasing to see Minister Grant criticise David Shoebridge for his opportunistic approach to exaggerating the narrative during his interview. Of late, the review of the National Firearms Agreement has been at the forefront of most shooters minds, as well as the rumoured plans to re-categorise lever action shotguns. Following the recent meeting of the Law, Crime and Community Safety Council (LCCSC) on November 5 it was clear that various police ministers were not in favour of the suggested re-categorisation of lever action shotguns with a capacity of greater than 5 rounds. Comments from the meeting also indicate recognition of the difference between registered and unregistered firearms. We're also advised that further discussion on the NFA review will most likely be delayed until the meeting of the National Justice and Policing Senior Officials Group in April 2016. SSAA NSW, as the peak shooting body in New South Wales, will continue to represent the interests of our members and the shooting sports generally by opposing unnecessary and unfair restrictions on law abiding forearms owners. Unlike Gun Control Australia and other anti-gun campaigners whose tactics are based on sprouting misinformation and lies, SSAA NSW will always use factual evidence based reasoning and continue to call for decision makers to engage in constructive consultation with those of us that are impacted by their decisions. Communication Survey – Have Your Say… Members have indicated that they believe the provision of information as well as the positive promotion of the shooting sports are two very important roles played by SSAA NSW. The way we communicate is integral to SSAA NSW meeting these expectations. As part of the future planning of our communication activities, it's important that we are able to find out more about how our members want to receive information from SSAA NSW; what information you're after; where and what you believe we should be focussing our efforts on when getting our messages out to the community at large. Included with this edition of the NSW Shooter Quarterly Review is a SSAA NSW Member Communication Survey and all members are encouraged to take 5 minutes to complete the survey. By participating you'll not only be helping SSAA NSW but shape how we promote and grow our sport and also get the chance to have your SSAA membership paid for the next year. The survey can also be completed online via a link on the SSAA NSW website www.ssaansw.org.au. The more surveys we receive the better informed SSAA NSW will be to ensure our future communication efforts are meeting the expectations of our members and achieving the desired results… so don't miss this opportunity to have your say! Merry Christmas… It's been an incredibly busy year full of challenges, achievements and opportunities. Thank you to everyone that plays a role in ensuring the continued success of SSAA NSW; our many, many fantastic volunteers that work in a huge variety of roles needed within our organisation to enable members to enjoy their sport; our dedicated staff at the SSAA NSW Office who truly are a great team to work with; and our Board members who are continually working to make sure the best interests of SSAA NSW and its members are always at the forefront of everything we do. On behalf of the SSAA NSW Board and staff, I would like to thank you for your support throughout the past year and to also wish you and your families a very Merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous New Year. Diana Melham Executive Director - SSAA (NSW) Inc. From Diana's Desk Illegal Firearms are the problem…

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