South Australian state election - 19 March 2022
SHOOTERS in South Australia have some of the most draconian firearm regulations anywhere – and a police minister who, as far as we know, hasn’t lifted a finger to help them.
The government even has a regulation in place that requires shooters to dob in their mates.
This How-to-Vote information is MUST READ for every shooter in South Australia.
SA shooters go to the polls on March 19, with early voting already under way. This article is to help them work out who to vote for in both the lower and upper houses. It was prepared in consultation with the Combined Firearms Council of South Australia.
Meet SA's Police Minister, Vincent Tarzia
This How-To-Vote advice is bad news for the Liberals because of the way their police ministers have treated shooters.
First, there’s the story of the shooter who went to his local MP for help with his licence.
His local MP is Labor’s Leon Bignell. Leon wrote to Police Minister, Vincent Tarzia, to see if he could help the guy.
Minister Tarzia flicked the matter to SA Police without responding to the MP or shooter. The good news is that the SA Police fixed the shooter’s licence issue, and we’d like to thank Mr Bignell for his help. However Tarzia’s lack of engagement in this matter left us unimpressed.
Unfortunately this is consistent with the Minister’s failure to address problems with the state’s firearms regulations, which are a major problem for shooters in SA.
Tarzia also recently oversaw the management of the decision by SA Police to reclassify the Ruger PC Charger.
We’re fighting this in the SA Civil and Administrative Tribunal however the fact that the minister once again doesn’t appear to be showing any interest, just deepens our view that the former Rostrevor Head Prefect and Dux isn’t shooter friendly, and doesn’t seem to have any intention to be.
SA’s Police Minister, Vincent Tarzia
SA's draconian firearm regulations
The main issue driving our recommendations is the Firearm Regulations 2017.
These regulations predate Tarzia’s tenure as police minister, so we don’t blame him for bringing them in. However, he’s the current police minister which means he’s responsible for deciding whether they stay or go.
The way regulations work – unlike legislation which has to go through parliament – imeans Tarzia could easily remove or amend them. Instead he’s done nothing about them that we know of.
The Firearm Regulations 2017 are 113 pages long.
That’s a wad of paper that, when double sided, is about the thickness of your mobile phone.
Here’s what the regulations do:
Definitions
- Gel blasters aren’t just firearms. The regs classify them as ‘automatic firearms’.
Shooter, clubs & dealers
- Shooting clubs must notify the registry when someone joins the club within 28 days.
- The graduation to above 22 calibre for handgun shooters is 12 months, while it is 6 months in some other jurisdictions – and contrary to what the National Firearms Agreement says.
- Dealers who display firearms at ‘arms fairs’ cannot exhibit more 2 or more identical firearms or firearm parts. They also cannot display more than 50 rounds of identical ammunition.
Licences, usage & possession
- Firearm licences are for 3 years, while they run for 5 years in other places.
- Qualification to hold a firearm licence includes a practical examination.
- Individuals can loan firearms in other states without a problem, but in SA, the individuals must keep copies of a written agreement and be penalised $2,500 if they don’t.
- Loans from firearm dealers must also be in writing. In this instance, a person who fails to keep a copy of the agreement with the firearm can be fined $5,000 for two new offences.
- A person who is not a licensed shooter who joins a club is required to have a notice from the registry that they are ‘fit and proper’ to be granted membership of the club – making it harder for new starters to get involved.
- If that person wants to join a pistol club, then they’ll need two referees.
Dobbing in your mate
- If a person who has access to premises where a firearm is kept has reasonable cause to suspect that another person who has a ‘physical illness’ has access to the same premises, then they must be reported to the registry. That’s social cleansing.
- If a person ‘becomes aware’ that another person who has firearms or ammunition has failed to store their firearm or ammunition properly, then they must also report that to the registry.
In other words, ‘Dob In A Mate’.
While we agree with the need to keep firearms and ammo secure, any law that makes it an offence to not report a loose 22 rolling around on the floor of your mate’s car is over the top.
Storage
- Safe requirements are that the minimum wall thickness is 2mm. Other states require 1.2 or 1.6mm.
- If the firearm is not kept under the main roof of the residence, such as in an outbuilding, that wall thickness is 3mm.
Voting in the lower house (Legislative Assembly)
For the above reasons, our advice is to simply vote against the Liberal Government EXCEPT as listed below.
The exceptions are:
- Electorate of Stuart: The Liberal MP is Dan van Holst Pellekaan. Dan is a firearms owner and member of the SSAA. He understands what is needed.
- Electorate of Morialta: The Liberal MP is John Gardner. John has supported the CFCSA on legislative issues.
- Electorate of Gibson: The Liberal MP is Corey Wingard. John has also supported the CFCSA on legislative issues.
Plus
- Electorate of Mt Gambier: The independent MP is Troy Bell.
Troy is a strong supporter of shooting clubs in Mt Gambier.
This is not an endorsement for Labor although the reality for many shooters is that they might not have any other option. However we feel it’s important to send the Liberals the message that they need to take better care of shooters.
There are two exceptions where we do recommend shooters vote Labor. Those are:
- Electorate of Croydon: The Labor MP is Peter Malinauskas. Peter is the Labor leader and as noted above, has helped shooters on some changes to the firearm regulations.
- Electorate of Mawson: The Labor MP is Leon Bignall. Leon helped a shooter in need as we mentioned earlier.
Support the minor pro-gun parties where you Can!
If you can vote for:
- Liberal Democrats (click here to see their candidates);
- One Nation (click here to see their candidates); or
- shooter-friendly independents,
then put them first. Then put your preferred major party next followed by the other – and always put the Greens and Animal Justice Party last.
.. don't forget the upper house!
SA also has an upper house (Legislative Council). Neither side holds a majority, with SA-BEST and the Greens effectively holding the balance of power.
Our recommendation is to vote for whichever party you prefer, but we do recommend you support the candidates who have been recommended by the CFCSA.
Click here for that list.
We gave them a chance
Last year we wrote to major parties ahead of this year’s elections, including the SA Liberals.
In our letter we offered to help work with them to develop a more suitable firearms policy ahead of the election.
The Liberals did not respond, so we need to send them the message that they need to start taking shooters’ concerns seriously.
Thanks to those who helped us
This advice has been prepared in consultation with the CFCSA.
To see the CFCSA’s advice to it’s members, click on the links below:
Donate to our election campaigns
Not sure what seat your in?
Click here to check your enrolment or click here to find out what electorate you are in and where to vote.
If you want more information on the election, including the full lists of candidates, click here to go to the SA Electoral Commission’s website
Later this year, we’ll be posting How-To-Vote advice for the Federal election (May) and Victorian State Election (November).
Authorised L. Lowe, National Shooting Council, Melbourne.
Practical advice. Looking forward to your recommendations for both houses State & Federal for Victoria. I have been a responsible firearms owner, hunter for 70 years as well a competition Small bore rifle shooter & watched with disappointement & frusration, since restrictions began here in Victoria with the introuction of ‘duck stamps’ through to registration & buybacks that has criminals rejoicing. Gradually, our freedoms to enjoy our pastime, has & is being eroded. Your efforts on our behalf, make all the other bum kissing organizations pale into insignificance. Thank you.
Telling people to vote Labor? Are you fricken insane?!
A vote for Labor is a vote for the Greens who are dead against owning firearms. What about encouraging people to vote for minor parties and get rid of the big four monopoly of Libs, Nats, Labor and Greens. These four go very last on the card and all freedom friendly parties go above them. Watch Topher Field’s recent YouTube vid on how our voting system works.
Edward, we made it clear this was not an endorsement of Labor, except in two seats. Not everyone will be able to vote for the minor parties, but where they are running, they should be supported. It’s in the article.
Resrictions gnawring away like a rat on best quality cheese.
NEVER NEVER NEVER EVER VOTE LABOUR they hate guns , shooting , fishing , and are in bed with the slimy greens , they have to follow CORCUSS just because 1 or 2 don’t mind guns the rest DON”T . Vote for anyone but LABOUR or the GREENS , I GIVE UP
If you are interested, there is a great video on preferential voting by a team of aussies here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bleyX4oMCgM. If that link doesn’t work, search youtube for ‘juice media two party’ and it will come up. To summarise, don’t think that if you don’t vote for libs or labour (the ‘big two’) that your vote is wasted, every vote makes a difference if used wisely. Just a shame that its a bit complicated and the majority of the public don’t understand it.
The Best Alternative to Voting for a Major Party, is to Vote for The Shooters’, Fisher’s and Farming Party.
This is a Party that has and Is, having a great impact on Policies in both State and Federal Governments.
A Vote for Labor, is a Guaranteed vote for the Greens, as they have proven in the past.
We need to Stand United in the way we support our sports, by choosing to Vote for a party, that has all our interests
within their charter, ‘NOT’ a member of a Party, that follows Party Line Politics no matter what they say.
Well, we can agree to disagree on that but the big problem SFFP have in the SA election is that they don’t have any candidates as they aren’t registered there. So they’re not an option for that election.
Libdems have a great firearms policy for the SA election
https://assets.nationbuilder.com/ldp/pages/6136/attachments/original/1645418462/FREEDOM_PROCLAMATION_-_Print.pdf?1645418462 (checkout section 7 firearms)
Yes Ben. The LibDems worked hard on that policy. If you need anymore information on how the LibDems support shooters and shooting clubs, contact me on kenelm.tonkin@ldp.org.au. I am the lead Senate candidate from South Australia for the LibDems. Cheers.
Hi,
I’m a firearms owner and I’m standing for One Nation in the seat of Frome. We also have Peter in Kuarna, Barry in Giles, and David in Light.
Never forget, the state – politicians, police, judiciary, are always looking to completely disarm the people in order to then more easily exterminate them. According to RJ Rummel, last century, 262,000,000 people were murdered by the state in 17 countries, after the people were first disarmed, for their own good of course. For Australia not to be the 18th, anytime a politician seeks our vote, state or federal, we need press them on this, for disarmament of the people means periodic culling of the people by the politicians.
Communist regimes last century murdered over 100 million people. Gun control was there first priority followed by the total consolidation of there power base. After that followed genocide. Stalin,,Chairman Mao and Pol Pot were amongst the worst offenders. Nicaragua,Cuba and Eastern Europe were other examples. All these countries had firearm acts before these monsters came along. I can remember how back in the 80s East Germany had a law requiring hunters to hand in every spent round that had been used to there local police. That would have to every greenies wet dream in Australia.
Labour,Liberals and the greens are deceitful liars that hate guns and hunting. NEVER vote for these idiots at the ballot box. It was only last month that these anti-freedom clowns rammed through more laws at a federal level to disadvantage gun owners. They didn’t even consult anybody about it either. Yep, straight out of the blue like a venomous snake. Just read what Bob Katter had to say about it.
A few members of the police farce and also firearms branch smell ‘off’. When I 1st got my firearms registered, after comrade Howard convinced us to help Australia ‘be a safer’ place to live I did the right thing and handed the forms in correctly filled out etc etc. Got the papers back from firearms and stored them in safe. Read an article 12 months later in the newspaper re: checking the details were correct. Checked mine against certificate and found had incorrect numbers. Took papers and firearm to cop shop…answer was clerical mistake at firearms branch. The next morning I decided to check the others…..well well another ‘clerical error’. Back to cop shop had it changed and sent off. Officer’s comment? Bloody firearms dept.
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