Firearms Reform Information/Education Workshops
The recent Firearms Reform Bill has highlighted a really deep & almost savage contempt for the stakeholders plus anyone or any process that dares steps in front of what Paul Papalia MLA, the WA Police Minister, the WA Cabinet & all the WA Labor MPs' want.
The bill was heralded as bringing in the Law Reform Commission recommendations & yet the many of the clause are the complete opposite. Having numerical limits was not a recommendation, in fact the report recommended not to have numerical limits.
The Govt made many claims, supporting evidential research was scant or missing and even during the recent Estimates the Police Commissioner said he'd get requested data but apparently it would require reallocating valuable staff to access it.
So, the data is supposedly there, it was used as the evidential research for reforms & it's somehow now a very difficult logistical issue accessing it. Not a click. Staff will have to stop what they're doing & go find it.
Part of me thinks a serious search party will have to be organised to find it because it may not have been accessed in the first place or perhaps it might not exist beyond "gut feeling" type research.
It is a mess. The biggest ever ePetition in WA Parliamentary history had 33,234 signatures requesting the Bill be sent to the Legislation Committee. Denied with WA Labor numbers.
Then it was tabled in the Upper House, the (time) guillotine fell thanks to the WA Labor numbers & it went to a vote & it was passed.
Be aware...(and we'll use bold etc as this needs emphasis)...
THAT'S LESS THAN 3% OF THE BILL
YES, OVER 97% OF THE BILL HAD NO DEBATE.
NO SCRUTINY WHATSOEVER BEFORE BEING PASSED.
HOW DO YOU LIKE THE NEW STANDARD YOUR GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVES
WHO ARE SUPPOSED TO BE DILIGENTLY WORKING ON YOUR BEHALF?
SHOULD LEGISLATORS AVOID SCRUTINY & DEBATE?
So what to do? This is every bit as bad as the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act. Widespread token consultation before tabling what the Government wants despite its inevitable unworkable demise. Only thing to do is to write to your Elected State MPs & ask them to support a set of Information Workshops on the new Act, how it rolls out, how it works...
So I sent a letter off. I suggest you do to. At present no matter where you live you have 7 WA Members of Parliament representing you. One in the Lower House & 6 in whichever region you live in. At the very bottom is full letter I sent & full replies, but there was only one question.
YES, ONE QUESTION
As my 7 local MPs in the Legislative Assembly & the Legislative Council can you please indicate your support for the urgent need to roll out Information Workshops on the new Firearms Act please? "
2 clearly in favour of supporting education workshops and one clearly not answering the one single, clear question.
First to reply - Steve Thomas MLC - In favour.
Second to reply - Louise Kingston MLC - In favour.
Third to reply - Jackie Jarvis MLC - Replied but no answer to the question at all
One week has passed & 4 MPs yet to reply. Will update their replies as they arrive.
But the one reply that deliberately gave NO ANSWER AT ALL, Jackie Jarvis MLC stated...
As the matter you have raised falls within the portfolio responsibility of the Hon Papalia Minister for Police, your correspondence has been forwarded to his office for consideration.
This is what's referred to as a political/tactical reply in lieu of an actual answer or a Sir Humphrey reply.
I thought as the matter affected the whole state & that she sits as responsible for representing myself & others in my electoral region she'd answer. What she's said is, the answer on any matter cannot come from an elected representative. The answer can only come from one of the 17 members of cabinet & even then only the responsible minister. It seems WA Labor members outside of cabinet serve no purpose at all as they certainly do not serve their electors at all. They serve the cabinet.
By all means copy, edit or not the letter I sent or send your own in.
Get them on the record.
At this stage Steve Thomas MLC & Louise Kingston MLC 5 out 5 Stars for very clear unequivocal answers.
Jackie Jarvise MLC - ZERO out of 5 Stars for her Tactical Reply
No Reply will earn a MP a score of ZERO stars, but we'll give them a bit more time.
For me, no reply or a tactical non answer is a dead set fail & I'd have to question why they are even in Parliament at all. What purpose do they serve?
You should be asking yourself some big questions about the reliability of some candidates at the Ballot Box on March 8th 2025.
Late Edit - September 1st 2024 - Still no reply from any other MPs.
No Reply from Sally Talbot MLC (Labor).
No reply from Ben Dawkins MLC (ex Labor now Independent/PHON?)
No reply from Simone Moermond MLC (ex Legalise Cannibis Western Australia Party now Independent)
Dear Rebecca, Sally, Steve, Ben, Jackie, Sophia & Louise...
As my 7 local MPs in the Legislative Assembly & the Legislative Council can you please indicate your support for the urgent need to roll out Information Workshops on the new Firearms Act please?
It is not the job of already stretched & stressed local volunteer shooting clubs nor WA's Firearms Dealers to interpret the Act that currently has no regulations.
As licenced owners we have received a confusing email. Apart from the obvious confusion it also has links to webpages if we need more information. However they are not hyper linked so they are not links at all & added to the already unwarranted & avoidable frustration.
I attended both Information Workshops in Albany on the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act. The latter one was held 5 days before Parliament sat & without warning tabled a new Bill to repeal & replace the Act that was being explained at the workshops.
As a primary producer the firearms issue is equally confusing as we're first told we would have to write ourselves a property letter for each property we own. Then I was told I'd need a property letter from my neighbour were I to cross the road to destroy a sick or injured animal for them, then later same day told only verbal advice would be needed. Have been told the Act will not be fully rolled out until 2025 & then told all property letters are void as of now & then told that's untrue.
We quickly need the Regulatory Department charged with managing & enforcing the new firearms Act to quickly arrange Information Workshops across WA. As soon as possible.
I appreciate your reply will advise me that you will forward my email to the Minister, but please also indicate whether you intend to support Information workshops please.
There has been far too much unwarranted and avoidable angst, anxiety not to mention the now lingering deep frustration.
Please, if you're unable to support information workshops can you please outline your reasons please?
I should point out, in late 2022 I used the WAPol online portal to contact WAPol with a query on another firearms matter. I actually had to repeat the query via the online query box at the start of every month, repeated exact word for word. I did not lodged one in January 2023 but otherwise kept it up until I got a reply in July 2023.
It appears the Firearms Branch was potentially under resourced &/or understaffed. I hope this has been rectified.
Thank you. I eagerly await your reply.
Best regards
2) First Reply - from Steve Thomas MLC
Hi Peter,
Thanks for the email.
I share your concerns, but I am even more concerned that the as yet unreleased regulations that attach to this legislation will be even worse.
It smacks of the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Bill, where the legislation was bad, but the regulations were far worse – in fact unworkable.
I suspect we are about to travel down a similar path, but this time there will be no Government backdown.
Once the regulations are released, you are absolutely right – an education campaign will be essential. Especially as the Government goes about removing guns from as many honest and innocent recreational shooters as they can. We are about to enter the guilty until proven innocent era.
I have attached my second and third reading speeches (I may have already sent them to you) and the final vote FYI.
Regards
Steve
3) Second reply - From Louise Kingston MLC
Hi Peter,
Louise Kingston
4) Third Reply - From Jackie Jarvis MLC
Our ref: 82-03636
Good afternoon Mr Robins,
Thank you for your correspondence of 15 August 2024 to the Hon Jackie Jarvis MLC.
As the matter you have raised falls within the portfolio responsibility of the Hon Papalia Minister for Police, your correspondence has been forwarded to his office for consideration.
Thank you.
Kind regards
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