Sad state of affairs for our friends Down Under

[jnyork]

Government to look at imposing gun limits

Updated March 06, 2012 17:15:01


Photo: Police seized a number of assault rifles, guns and ammunition in a raid on a Port Kennedy home. (ABC News: Irena Ceranic)

Related Story: Guns seized in raid on Port Kennedy house


Map: Port Kennedy 6172
The Attorney General, Christian Porter, says he will support a limit on the number of guns a licence holder can have after police found 14 guns and a big cache of ammunition in a family home, south of Perth.

Police raided the Port Kennedy home on Sunday and say they found rifles, thousands of rounds of ammunition, batons, knives and drugs.

Two young children have been staying in the house and their 36-year-old father has been charged with 23 firearm and drug related offences.

The opposition's Michelle Roberts says police must audit all gun licence holders to make sure they have a legitimate right to carry firearms.

"There need to be restrictions put in place, there should be a presumption of someone not having more than two or three licensed firearms at home," she said.

"I think the Police Minister needs to step in straight away.

"He needs to establish some kind of presumption as to the maximum amount of guns that the average person should be able to house at their home, to have numbers like 12 or 13 licensed firearms in an average house is wrong."

Under current legislation, there is no limit on how many firearms a person can own.

Mr Porter, who is currently acting as Police Minister, says it is time to review the law but says any amendments would have to be carefully considered to ensure legitimate gun owners are not penalised.

"There's something that's gone wrong in this individual case, I think that much is clear, and I'll be going through that very very carefully indeed," he said.

"It's time to have the debate, and time to work out how you might institute a limit and whether it can be a limit which is different for some categories of firearm owners, particularly those that are legitimate sportsmen.

"Thirteen licensed firearms for this particular individual seems nothing short of outrageous."

He says he will recommend to the Police Minister Rob Johnson that he introduce a limit on how many gun licences a person can hold.

"My own personal view is I think it's time to look at the legislation to consider whether that can and should be done." he said.

"My view is it should be but it's not just a matter of plucking a number out of the air."

Michelle Roberts says there should be a cap on the number.

"I think the police should be immediately looking through to see who is holding a substantial number of gun licences because I don't think that there can be a genuine reason for these to be in the average house," she said
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[Bob259]

Looks like the Dumbocraps have moved there as well.......

This should be a leason to all of us on how fast a few uninformed people can work to take your rights away.

[BCloninger]

Was this supposed to be an opinion piece or a news story? There are three people - a politician, a cop, and a citizen - expressing concern but very few facts, so it must have been pretty uneventful. Very poorly written story that is clearly just trying to frighten people, presumably to pump up interest.

[jnyork]

Was this supposed to be an opinion piece or a news story? There are three people - a politician, a cop, and a citizen - expressing concern but very few facts, so it must have been pretty uneventful. Very poorly written story that is clearly just trying to frighten people, presumably to pump up interest.

It is a news story from the Australian Broadcasting Company today as quoted on the NRA website.

I am very sorry this article does not meet your very strict personal standards for journalistic excellence, I promise to be much more selective the next time I post something, and hope this thread did not injure your delicate sensibilites too severely.

[Jason]

I believe that he was criticizing the writer of the story, not you for posting it.

[BCloninger]

Was this supposed to be an opinion piece or a news story? There are three people - a politician, a cop, and a citizen - expressing concern but very few facts, so it must have been pretty uneventful. Very poorly written story that is clearly just trying to frighten people, presumably to pump up interest.

It is a news story from the Australian Broadcasting Company today as quoted on the NRA website.

I am very sorry this article does not meet your very strict personal standards for journalistic excellence, I promise to be much more selective the next time I post something, and hope this thread did not injure your delicate sensibilites too severely.

Your concern is noted - maybe I've graded too many papers? Citations, dammit, or it didn't happen! Jason is correct - the article deserves to be widely ridiculed.

[Trent]

I believe that he was criticizing the writer of the story, not you for posting it.

This.

Let's not be overly sensitive.

[Trent]

The idea of a limit on the number of firearms that a person can own... WHY?? It's not like a person can carry 14 guns at a time. Even if I own 100 guns I still only have two hands.

[deadeye dave]

Port Kennedy is in Perth ,West Australia which has some of the mnost stringent regulations in all of Aus. I live in Tassie and I stand corrected but that piece of news did nort rate over here. I would not worry to much until it happens. In Tassie at the moment there are a lot of licences due for renewal and the powers to be are hoping to weed out people without a valid reason to hold a licence which will enable the amount of firearms being held to be greatly reduced.

cheers

Dave

[mordecai]

14 guns?

I attest the Gummit of Downunder would have a complete and total turd-fit just looking under my bed...

[BCloninger]

But they'll never find the rest...

[Jerry G]

I guess if you live in an old penal colony you should expect many restrictions on weapons.

[chuckjordan2]

It is funny that nobody picked-up on the drugs found too.

That kind of element never buys enough.

/correct grammar

[kevinbear]

Now is that 12 or 13 per type of gun; semi-auto - bolt gun, because if it's TOTAL number of guns that is outrageous! Just kidding, I think I have more than 13 remingtons, that type thinking doesn't fly among gun enthusiests here.