September has been one of the busiest advocacy months in recent memory. For members who have not followed every development, here is the full picture in one place.
The meetings
Our CEO Pete Szaak spent much of the month at Parliament House in one-on-one meetings with parliamentarians from both Houses.
Earlier in the month Pete met with The Hon. Rod Roberts MLC, Mr Gurmesh Singh MP, The Hon. Scott Barrett MLC and The Hon. Sarah Mitchell MLC. These were not brief corridor conversations. Each parliamentarian set aside real time to understand what TOLA and the compulsory buyback mean for our competitive shooters, our hunters, our farmers and primary producers, our clubs and our licensed dealers.
Click here to read the full article
The following week, Pete met with The Hon. Nichole Overall MLC, The Hon. Natasha Maclaren-Jones MLC, Mr Richie Williamson MP, The Hon. Aileen MacDonald OAM MLC and Ms Steph Cooke MP. In each meeting Pete raised the practical impact of the legislation alongside the backlogs in permits to acquire, genuine reason applications and licence applications, which are already placing members in difficult positions.
Click here to read the full article
Our sincere thanks to every parliamentarian who made time to listen.
The vote
On 16 September, the Legislative Assembly voted 31 to 47 against Roy Butler MP’s motion to disallow the Firearms Amendment (Transitional Provisions) Regulation 2026. This is the regulation underpinning the compulsory buyback.
The outcome was disappointing, and we said so plainly at the time. But a vote on one motion in one House does not settle this. The concerns we have raised remain unanswered, and the consequences for our members, licensed dealers and regional communities remain very real.
Our thanks to Mr Roy Butler for bringing the motion forward, and to the 31 parliamentarians who voted to disallow.
Click here to read the full article regarding the vote
Where we stand
Our position has not changed since the day the bill was introduced. We are calling for the repeal of the TOLA provisions that unfairly impact law-abiding firearms owners. We oppose the compulsory buyback. We remain deeply concerned for the livelihoods of licensed dealers. And the Government still has not explained how taking firearms from licensed, law-abiding owners addresses criminal misuse.
Working alongside our stakeholder groups, we will maintain a united voice and keep pressing for fair, practical outcomes for the people we represent.
Be assured we will keep advocating, keep challenging these measures and keep you informed.
Stay safe, and thank you for standing with us.
