Quilty targets sloppy firearms registry: Government gets rattled
VICTORIAN MP, Tim Quilty, has put the spotlight on Victoria’s firearm registry once again, after it was revealed that 100,000 guns simply went “missing”, raising serious questions about how it is run.
Mr Quilty, a licensed shooter and proud NSC Member, has been probing the operations of the Registry through questions in Parliament to the police minister for nearly a year.
Ministers' pushback on transparency
The government has taken a strong dislike to the questions.
Every time Mr Quilty has asked questions, he has been ridiculed, berated, and attacked in the house by Andrew’s government ministers, Gayle Tierney and Jaala Pulford.
Tim Quilty MP
Tierney represents Police Minister Lisa Neville (as Neville sits in the lower house). Her attacks on Tim have increased in their ferocity and nature every time he raised LRD matters.
It is clear from the government responses that it is becoming increasingly uncomfortable on the matter. It is also clear the government doesn’t want to see cracks appear in the registry, in an election year.
Registry faces heat
Thanks to Tim’s efforts, it has been confirmed that the registry does have 100,000 guns missing.
The police and government have attempted to “bat this off” by blaming discrepancies in the old firearms database that they stopped using in 1996 when it was replaced by the current Licensing and Registration System.
On the 6th April 2022 Tim asked whether there were 100,000 missing guns, and what was being done about the matter. He also asked if VicPol did in fact hold a firearm dealers licence, and if so if it was bound by the same laws as other Victorian Firearms dealers.
On the 6th May 2022 Tim received a written response from Lisa Neville. The link for Tim’s questions and Neville’s answers can be seen by clicking here.
Apart from confirming the missing guns, the responses reveald that “Operation Ravelings” reviewed 60,000 firearms records held by registry without explaining what was found. The responses also confirmed VicPol holds a firearms dealers licence and that it:
“is required to meet its licence requirements within accordance with the Firearms Act 1996.”
This means VicPol is bound by the same laws and rules
as every other gun dealer in Victoria. Yet it fails to comply with them.
... but it's still one rule for them and ....
The way VicPol treats dealers for any offences is well known.
Dealers who lose a firearm or who have discrepancies in their records have their licences suspended/cancelled, lose their businesses and are prosecuted – but the registry does not apply the same rules to itself.
There have been a number of high-profile cases where VicPol was forced to admit it was wrong.
The most recent being the case of Rod Haugh from the Outdoor Sportsman in Geelong who was able to clear his name after a six-year legal battle that cost him his health and a fortune on legal fees.
Rod Haugh
Quilty names senior officer
On Wednesday, 25th May 2022 Tim asked more questions in Parliament about the “missing” guns.
Instead of answering the question, Labor MP Gayle Tierney attempted to divert the house’s attention by referring to the USA primary school shooting days earlier. The link to what Tim said can be seen by clicking here or simply watch it here.
This time Tim dropped a bomb on the government. He revealed that he was in possession of a Victoria Police Affidavit (a sworn statement) signed by a senior LRD officer that attempted to explain the disappearance of seized guns and gun parts as having been “inadvertently” destroyed.
The officer involved, Senior Sergeant Andrew Armstrong (right), is the firearms portfolio holder at the LRD and has been since mid-2014.
Armstrong had his Affidavit witnessed by his immediate subordinate officer, Sergeant Paul Connor and made the claim that the firearms destroyed were of no monetary value.
Click the images below to read the Affidavit.
These revelations show that the Victorian registry is a basket case and how its seems to operate as a law unto itself. The NSC eagerly awaits the government’s response to Tim’s questions, and predict a lot more is likely to be revealed in the fullness of time.
Goverment dodges responsibility
Full credit to Tim Quilty for having the guts to pursue this matter when others wouldn’t. In fact he’s the only MP in the Victorian Parliament who has shooters’ interest at heart.
One thing that is clear is that the government has a lot of questions to answer. In particular, it needs to explain the documented links between it and senior VicPol force command members
Even former VicPol Chief Commissioner Kel Glare publicly described current force command with “an old proverb that says ‘the fish goes rotten from the head'”.
Ironically the NSW government has just announced a review into the operations of its own registry. Yet it’s a move that is unlikely to be copied by the Victorian Government.
We’ll keep you informed , so stay tuned. We’ll be covering this on NSCTV in the next few days, so make sure you sign up at NSCTV.com.au.
Fantastic work with so many ” obstacles ” in the road .
I posted my firearm licence renewal 2 weeks before my licence was due to expire on the 1st of April, On the 13th May I recieved my instructions to get my photo taken and to make payment. I was away from home until the 21st of May so on the 23rd of May I had photo taken and paid the fee for my licence. It is now the 30th of May and no sign of my new firearm licence. On my payment slip which I retained it states that the slip is not an interim licence. So effectively I have not been able to use my firearms for 2 months. What a joke.
Hi Peter. Not sure what state you are in, but some states allow old liceces to be recognised while you renew. You might want to check with your registry? Ta Neil
Your licence remains in force as you renewed before your expiry date. You are allowed to use/carry firearms as per your licence conditions until your new plastic licence arrives.
Peter, it is my belief that once you have lodged your renewal with Lard, your licence remains current even if you have not received your new licence. You can confirm this by contacting LaRD. Use your firearms as normal. If LaRD thought you were unlicensed you would have Mr Plod on your doorstep taking your firearms.
Hello Peter, iff you followed normal renewing proceedures and your licence renewal was paid for, (prior, or on the due date) you licence is valid..It should be no different to your drivers Licence..the time it takes for the department to process it, and return your new card is not your concern..the only problem you may have is purchasing ammunition or another firearm without your card showing its new expiry date..other than that, your licence should be completely valid..
Hello Peter, this is just another example of a typical government department working an outdated system. In N.S.W, a lot of RMS outlets have thier own photo machine for renewing a drivers licence on the spot..why can’t the same happen with your shooters Licence?
Likewise, iff all gun shops had a direct link to the Police data base, a shooters licence and a permit to aquire could be granted or denied in a few minutes..not months as it now..the entire system is desperately in need of a major overhaul to keep up with the times…it’s a shocking system as it is now.
N.S.C.Rocks you guys have given an old dealer
New life and hope
what i have had happen these past 7 years will shock all shooters
It wouldn’t shock me. I saw it on Sydney’s north, from the Lower North Shore to Kuringai (it’s mixed, or the picture is blurry, in the Hills District): hate conquers all and justifies anything.
Has Mr Quilty also had Country Vic, Areas or Firearms Registry checked, as well as The actual State Registry ??.
cheers and keep up the good work.
Great work Hon Tim Quilty MLC! These are important questions that require answers. Must agree that missing guns can be used in crimes! Also an Australian LAFO didn’t shoot anyone, so those desperate paws at it being inappropriate are abhorrent. They make absolutely clear the disgusting way that LAFOs are marginalised in this country by politicians and police representatives.
These articles need to be sharable on social media
On Friday night,the 27/5/22,in a suburb of Perth,High Wycombe,three men carried out an armed home invasion.
They doused the 52yo owner with metho to coerce him to open the gun safe and subsequently stole 4 target pistols.As they left,one bandit set fire to the victim who suffered major facial burns.The culprits,one 33yo,two 28yo have been apprehended and charged with various offences.
Was the information of this Licenced owner’s address gained from the Police Ministers recent release of a FRONT PAGE NEWS MAP of firearm licence holders in W.A. ??
No mention of the over two hundred police firearms that have gone “missing” is there?
When renewing my shooters license I checked the LRD list of firearms that I own and there were two rifles listed as being in my posession that were disposed of through a licensed gun dealer years ago. When I raised the matter with a LRD officer I was told that it would be the fault of the licensed gun dealer. Yeh right.
To say nothing of Police DELIBERATELY ignoring 2x psychiatrists letters and acting in their own capacity as highly trained mental health professionals eh Neil?.
How dare she emotionally manipulate Tim Quilty like that, that’s an example of incredibly tasteless and brazen character assassination… Claiming his questions are in appropriate on such a day? Huh..there is no relevance whatsoever between the two events. In fact her acting is as bad as Amber Heards… It was a question of firearm accountability and should be celebrated by the parliament in terms of community safety and Police integrity. Vicpol have a long history of corruption and it makes me wonder just how many of those guns are out there due to the dealings of corrupt officers.
Don’t like being tricked – you’ve published my full name – are you serious that LRD can’t find my emails address, home address and any and all information about my family My wife is a copper, Please delete the previous comment and this one.
Remember the firearm that Bryant used at Port Arthur had been handed in to Victorian Police and then it was sold to Bryant at a later date in Tasmania. Think about it how did the firearm get from Vicpol to a Tasmanian dealer. I will bet there was never an enquiry into that.