[Boiling frog. More control, more power. Can link all things Covid to a gun license. Wonderful!]
https://www.nationalshooting.org.au/...g-out-of-line/
Victorian shooters to face 10 year gun bans for ...... stepping out of line
https://www.nationalshooting.org.au/...g-out-of-line/
The Andrews Government is making more bad changes to Victoria's gun laws.
The latest changes will allow police down to the rank of inspector to
ban shooters from holding firearm licences for at least 10 years for
getting nothing more than a speeding fine.
People hit with a ban will also be subjected to warrantless searches of
their homes or cars at any time, and barred from going to any place
where guns may be stored or used.
This is a major backward step for shooters but the good news is that
the NSC is well placed to fight this, which is why we need your help.
Who will be able to impose the bans?
The legislation that was introduced into the Victorian State Parliament
by the state's Police Minister, Lisa Neville (pictured above), is called
the Firearms and Other Acts Amendment Bill 2021.
As it stands, the bill proposes that the bans will be able to be put in
place by officers at inspector level.
This includes inspectors in the firearms registry.
Ban includes warrantless searches and other restrictions
Once a ban is in place, the laws will allow any police officer to search
the shooter, their home, their car or any person with the shooter,
without a warrant.
How it would work
Imagine if you received a COVID or speeding fine.
From previous experience, Victoria Police has seen these as being
sufficient to suspend firearms licences.
The new bans would permit bad 'behaviour' - potentially simply having an
argument over the fine or suspension - to be sufficient for an inspector
to hit you with a ban.
This would subject you to searches until 2032 and you would not be
able to appeal the ban until 2027.
All for copping a simple fine.
Or for no reason at all.
It also means you can't go anywhere firearms are used or stored ā?? which
may be your local range, gunshop or even a friend's or relative's home
where firearms are stored.
You also cannot change address without risking a year in jail if you
don't notify the police within 24 hours of moving.
You will also have no right of appeal for at least the first five years
of the 10 year ban.
Could you get a ban?
The bill before Parliament will allow officers to impose bans for any of
the following reasons:
"because of the behaviour of the individual" - the legislation does
not define what - behaviour' means, and so comes down to the officer's
personal opinion. What is clear from the legislation is that this
behaviour does not need to relate to anything illegal.
"because of the people with whom the individual associates" - which
means people Victoria Police do not like. Again, this does not need to
relate to anything illegal.
"because of the criminal history of the individual" - which sounds
ok but again the lack of definition means it could apply to very old
history - such as minor offences conducted as a teenager; and
"because, on the basis of information known to the Chief
Commissioner about the individual, the individual may pose a threat or
risk to public safety." - again, this is vague and open to abuse.
It means if an officer of Victoria Police does not like your
'behaviour', you could easily find yourself getting one of Lisa
Neville's new bans.