STRONGER TOGETHER: SIGN THE PETITION! PROTECT OUR SPORT AND CULTURE!

On behalf of all legal firearms owners in NSW, we urge you to sign this online petition to oppose the negative consequences of the Firearms and Weapons Legislation (Criminal Use) Bill 2020. This Bill will have significant impact on you.

The Bill will criminalise the current activities of legal firearms owners and we need your help and immediate action to amend the Bill. Your support is extremely important, while we have achieved the 20,000 signatures for this issue to be debated on the floor of Parliament, the more signatures we have, the stronger our message will be!

We are at our most effective when we work united. This proposed Bill is unacceptable and we need your signature to ensure that negative consequences are removed. The Bill provides police with additional discretionary powers for search and seizure of firearms and firearm parts without due cause. The Bill also attempts to remove basic legal rights under common law, including the presumption of innocence and the right to silence and directly effects the following groups:

Farmers

Farmers will be criminalised for possessing the tools deemed “firearms precursors,” in order to repair and maintain their essential equipment.

Workshops

Workshops, businesses, volunteer associations and training organisations will be criminalised for using tools that the Bill is considering a “firearm precursor”.

Hunters

Ethical hunters and conservationists will be criminalised for using “precursors” (spare parts and tools) to repair and maintain a safe and efficient firearm in the field.

Sports Shooters

Sports Shooters competing at at all levels (including the Olympics) will also be criminalised for the equipment they require for modifications.

How to Sign

Our 58,000 members, as well as the members of other shooting bodies and the affected citizens of NSW, provide the power to eradicate the unintended consequences of the Bill.

To sign the ePetition, you simply:

click on the link to be redirected to NSW Parliament’s ePetition page;
confirm you are a resident of New South Wales;
enter your title, first name and last name; and
enter your email.

Once you click “submit” you will have signed the ePetition.

Please note: Your details will not be made public.

Advocacy Process

This ePetition follows the strong advocacy from SSAA NSW against the unintended consequences of the Bill. SSAA NSW has undertaken a number of steps to remove the unintended consequences from the Bill. This includes a detailed submission to the NSW Government and an appearance/presentation of evidence to the Legislative Council Upper House Inquiry.

The Inquiry was instigated and chaired by the Hon. Robert Borsak, who first brought this issue to the attention of the shooting sports and has argued against the unintended consequences of the Bill in Parliament.

SSAA NSW has also met with Members of Parliament from the Upper and Lower House to request support in our opposition to the Bill. Many industry bodies and organisations have also worked together with SSAA NSW in opposing the unintended consequences of this Bill.

Please sign the petition now to protect our sport and culture.