The Shooters' Party

Anglers are reminded the Legislative Council Select Committee on Recreational Fishing, of which Robert Brown, MLC is Chair, has called for submissions from individuals, businesses and fishing groups.

Submissions must reach the Committee by Friday March 19.

The Committee will look at recreational fishing in NSW, both coastal and inland, and examine how it is managed. There are more than 500,000 fee-paying recreational fishing licence holders in NSW, and the inquiry will look at the benefits and opportunities improved recreational fisheries may represent for the fishers.

Terms of reference for submissions can be found on the Committee’s website at: http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/fishinginquiry.

Submissions can be emailed to fishinginquiry@parliament.nsw.gov.au or mailed to the Director, Select Committee on Recreational Fishing, Parliament House, Sydney NSW 2000.

The Committee will shortly announce the dates and venues for public hearings at locations along the coast and inland.

With Parliament resuming next week activities around the House are stepping up ahead of the new sitting year.

Although last year ended in disappointment with the then Premier, Mr Rees, declining to negotiate in good faith on our Bill, we do expect a better outcome in 2010. Negotiations with the new Premier will resume from the point at which Mr Rees withdrew last year, and with good intent on both sides, we have no doubt a satisfactory agreement can be reached which would see volunteer conservation hunters culling feral animals in some of our more remote National Parks.

Remarkably, it will be 18 years this May since John Tingle had his infamous “chat” with the then Police Minister Ted Pickering about setting up a political party to “look after the interests of gun owners in New South Wales”. For those can’t remember, the response of the Minister was more than dismissive, and John was riled enough to immediately establish “The Shooters Party”. He stood at the next election – and won a seat in the Upper House and only retired in May 2006 after a pioneering 11 years in Parliament. We all owe John a real debt of gratitude because without his vision and foresight, shooters and hunters in New South Wales would not enjoy the benefits they now have.

Apart from now having two MLCs in Parliament to keep a weather eye on legislation, which would impinge on the rights of firearm owners, we have had the Safe Shooting Grants under the Ministerial Advisory Council on Shooting Clubs, which since 1995 has funded 330 projects to the tune of $5.4 million dollars.

After months of being requested to do so, the Police Minister has finally amended the Weapons Prohibition Regulation to exempt a person holding a licence or permit under the Firearms Act 1996 from having to obtain a prohibited weapons permit for a laser pointer, but only in relation to its use in connection with a firearm to which the licence or permit under that Act applies.

The Firearms Regulation 2006 has been amended to better recognise international visitors permits issued in other States or Territories.  This amendment provides that international visitors who hold a temporary firearms permit issued in another State or Territory for the purpose of participating in a shooting competition are exempt from the requirement to hold a licence or permit authorising possession (but not use) of the relevant firearm while visiting New South Wales before or after the competition.

This amendment was requested some months ago to assist the organisers of the World Sporting Clays Championship that was held recently at Warnambool in Victoria.  The amendment was finally made less than two weeks prior to the competition being held.

Some minor changes to the Regulation as it applies to historical or commemorative re-enactments events using prohibited weapons have also been made. This includes clarification of the notice that must be given to local police prior to such an event being held, and specification of the details that must be provided to the Commissioner when applying for a permit for such an event.

A new exemption has also been inserted to allow residents from another State or Territory who hold an equivalent permit in their home state, to participate in an historical or commemorative re-enactment event in NSW for which a permit has been issued.

Further amendments to the Firearms Regulation which came into effect on 13 November 2009 are:
<ul><li>to specify the offences that disqualify applicants, if they are subject to a good behaviour bond for such an offence, from getting a firearms licence or permit or from being involved in a firearms dealing business,</li>
<li>to enable security guards who have firearms licences to possess and use prohibited pistols or certain shotguns but only if expressly authorised to do so by the Commissioner, </li>
<li>to extend the temporary licensing amnesty (to 31 March 2010) for certain percussion lock pistols manufactured before 1900.</li></ul>

Getting changes to the firearms regulations is a bit like pulling teeth, but we will keep at it as and when we find silly provisions, which should never have been included in the first place. We do appreciate the feedback from shooters on issues they would like addressed and will push for more changes in 2010.

Have a safe and happy holiday period and don’t forget, we are always happy to visit clubs around the State to update shooters on the latest changes to Firearms regulations – if you would like Robert or myself to visit your club, please call the office during business hours.

It appears for some reason (a fit of the “cranks” perhaps?) the Government under former Premier Nathan Rees delayed the approval of the latest round of MACOSC grants to shooting clubs around the State. Recommendations were made by the MACOSC committee several months ago, but needed executive approval before they could be distributed. There will be discussions with the new Ministers at the earliest opportunity to ensure the funds are distributed.

The Shooters Party was successful last month in setting up a Select Committee inquiry on recreational fishing, both coastal and inland.

Robert will chair the Inquiry, which will take a thorough look at recreational fishing, and the way it is currently managed. There are more than 500,000 recreational fishing licence holders in NSW and we will examine the benefits and opportunities that improved fisheries may represent for fishers.

The Committee is calling for submissions from interested people and organisations, and there will be public meetings in Sydney and coastal and inland regions during April-June next year. Details can be obtained from the Committee’s website http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/fishing inquiry or the Secretariat on 02 9230 3544.

Committee Members
The Hon Robert Brown MLC (Chair) Shooters Party
The Hon Tony Catanzariti MLC (Deputy Chair) ALP
Mr Ian Cohen MLC Greens
The Hon Rick Colless MLC Nationals
The Hon Charlie Lynn MLC Liberal Party
The Hon Christine Robertson MLC ALP
The Hon Mick Veitch MLC ALP

The Australian Electoral Commission has approved the change of name of The Australian Shooters Party to the Shooters and Fishers Party (Shooters and Fishers for short).

This is the federal arm of The Shooters Party NSW, and will contest the next federal election under that name.

TSP’s Web site now securely accepts donations and annual membership electronically via PayPal. Payments by credit card, as well as by direct credit to the Shooters’ Party are just a few clicks away.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has revealed that growing up on a farm left him with a love of horse riding and clay target shooting.

“I grew up on a farm where there were guns around. I like shooting when I get a chance to go out and do sporting clays and I like riding a horse,“ he told the Fairfax Radio Network.

The prime minister said while he had not done any shooting in recent years and he was not good at it, he had shot sporting clays in the past.

“I haven’t done it (sporting clays) for a couple of years but I used to be a patron of one of the shooting clubs in my electorate,“ Mr Rudd revealed.