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Labor must reject Shooters push to weaken gun laws
Tuesday 01 June 2010
Greens NSW MP Lee Rhiannon warned that Shooters Party amendments to the Keneally government's Weapons and Firearms Bill would increase the number of military-style assault weapons in this state.
"The Shooters Party amendments weaken NSW gun control laws and should be rejected by Labor and the Coalition," Ms Rhiannon said.
"The Shooters proposed Weapons Prohibition Regulation would remove the need to obtain a permit for a detachable firearm magazine.
"The present system restricts access to these dangerous devices to a few occupations.
"Adding one of these magazines to some firearms can create a military-style assault weapon.
"This would be a serious set back to gun control and public safety. The NSW government and opposition must not back the Shooters Party push to expand access to detachable magazines.
"These were critical components of the weapons used in the 1999 Columbine massacre and at Virginia Tech in 2007 when all up 44 people were murdered.
"Since the falling out between the Shooters MPs and Labor over a proposal to allow hunting in National Parks the government has struggled to find the numbers in the NSW Upper House on some key issues.
"If Labor rolls over to the Shooters demand for a substantial weakening of gun control laws, it will certainly look like a new deal has been struck.
"Tragically we gained gun control laws in this state and nationally after a series of massacres.
"To allow a political party whose key objective is to make it easier to obtain and use firearms to dictate the laws governing gun access is wrong," Ms Rhiannon said.
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