SSAA NSW

Sporting Shooters Association of Australia (NSW) Inc. 9 1. As a Senator, how much are you able to help shooters? Not as much as if I was in the state parliament, but a significant amount nonetheless. In the two years in which I have been a Senator, I have been able to help shooters in five ways. a. I have made representations to Customs on behalf of importers who were struggling to get a decision or where they were subjected to bureaucratic obstruction. In most cases this has led to a positive outcome. b. I succeeded in convincing the federal government to grant secure tenure for shooters at Malabar rifle range so that shooters will only be compelled to leave if the government establishes a satisfactory alternative facility. c. I convinced the federal government to place a sunset clause on its ban on imports of the seven shot Adler lever action shotgun. The ban will expire in August. d. I organised and hosted a reception in parliament house for the shooting industry, bringing together parliamentarians from all parties who support shooters. The reception was very well attended by Members and Senators and their staff. e. I was also able to alert state organisations to proposals to amend the National Firearms Agreement in ways that were adverse to shooters. Most of these organisations succeeded in convincing their state Minister to oppose the changes. 2. You have a relatively high profile in the media. Has this been a help or hindrance to shooters? This has been very useful as the media are aware that I have strong views on firearm regulations and ownership, and seek me out for comment. My intervention on the Adler ban clearly signalled to government that I would not stand by while stupid decisions infringing the rights of shooters were implemented. 3. Are you a shooter yourself? As a youngster I shot rabbits on my family's farm. I have been a pistol shooter for over 30 years and a target rifle shooter for almost as long. I have a property in central west NSW where I shoot a few pigs, foxes and rabbits. I also went through a phase of collecting military rifles. Currently my preferred shooting sport is fullbore F-class. I use a 308W rifle over ranges of 300-800 metres. 4. Do you load your own ammunition? Yes, I load both rifle and pistol ammunition. It's the only way to make centrefire pistol shooting affordable. With rifles, it's the only way to be sure a rifle shoots as well as it is capable of. 5. What is your view about hunting on public land? Hunters are a great example of voluntary conservation. They are not the complete answer to feral animal control, but they can make a meaningful contribution at little or no cost. It's time hunters were appreciated, volunteering their time and resources for the benefit of the environment. 6. What about range facilities? It is critical to the future of the shooting sports that we have somewhere to shoot. That's a key reason I have focused on securing the future of Malabar rifle range. It provides a place to shoot for thousands of shooters in the Sydney basin. Ideally, I would like to remove the restrictions on establishing a range on private land, subject simply to reasonable precautions regarding drop zones. I see no reason why the government needs to involve itself in what happens on private property provided it is safe. 7. The Liberal Democrats have a strong and uncompromising policy on firearms. Is this part of the personal choice platform of the Liberal Democrats, or a bit of both? It's both. I have had an association with firearms all my life, and I love shooting as a sport, but I also resent the fact that during my lifetime, governments have increasingly viewed firearm owners as a risk to others. The Liberal Democrats believe criminal behaviour, whether it involves firearms or anything else, is attributable to individuals. Treating all firearm owners as potentially dangerous because of the actions of individuals is no more legitimate than treating Muslims, Jews or blacks on a collective basis. Our firearms policies can be seen on the website at ldp.org.au/policy/firearms/ Liberal Democrats Party Federal Senator, David Leyonhjelm

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