The WA Labor government has embarked on an aggressive propaganda campaign asserting the perceived dangers to the community of legal firearm ownership.
The campaign has included a map, pinpointing where licensed firearm owners live and thereby providing a shopping list for criminals.
Reckless stuff, but they have been relentless in setting the scene to justify tackling a problem that simply does not exist and asserting a solution to solve it.
In 2016 after a long and forensic study, the WA Law Reform Commission (LRC) tabled its Report 105 Review of the Firearms Act 1973 (WA).
It is of interest to note in the foreword of the report, that 1244 submissions were received by the Commission - one of the largest, if not the largest, responses the Commission has ever received.
Importantly and completely ignored by the Labor government, is where the Commission states, "The Commission agrees; the vast majority of firearms users in Western Australia are law abiding and the Commission certainly has no intention of recommending legislative change that could make it more difficult for firearm users to abide by the law while having no practical purpose to meet the objects of the Firearms Act".
"Further, harm prevention is distinct from punishment," it went on to say.
"That is, the harm prevention aims of the legislation should be achieved in such a way that as little burden as possible is imposed on people who are complying, or seeking to comply, with the Firearms Act.
"Therefore, measures taken to protect the public must be appropriately adapted so as not to impose too great a burden on persons who possess or use firearms for reasons recognised as legitimate by the act".
Alarmingly this government in its quest has largely ignored the Commission's 143 recommendations - they have cherry picked and policy bent a few recommendations to claim they have considered the report but have in fact contradicted this large body of work, when it should have been used as a blueprint for the writing of a new act.
The firearms community rarely has the public's sympathy however, where Western Australians should be shocked, alarmed and outraged is the extent to which this government has gone in excessive State control.
A cursory read of the bill reveals it has been constructed by architects of a police State.
Cloaked in a veil of protecting the public, always a blunt instrument for governments, this proposed legislation provides, amongst other things, for a person's views, opinions and the way they live as criteria for their fit and proper test.
There is no definition of those tests.
Even writing this article may not align with compliant views or opinions.
To comply with the proposed legislation, licensed firearms owners will need to dispose of valuable, legally acquired possessions at short notice with no consideration for flooded markets or a person's private property rights.
Under this legislation a person will have no right to silence and will need to answer firearm related questions asked by police without legal representation.
It is unclear whether this only relates to firearm licence holders or any member of the public.
A person will be subject to health tests which will include questions on alcohol consumption, diabetes or heart conditions - all of which should be confidential information on a person's health records, none are relevant or of any business to police.
There have been suggestions of a tracking app being planned so that when a person leaves home for a legitimate purpose with a firearm they will be tracked.
Big brother is watching.
These are just a few of the many punitive measures within the bill.
The LRC report warned that "care should be taken not to expose people seeking to comply with the act to the risk of inadvertent non-compliance".
There is a minefield of unintended consequences within the bill, exposing people who are generally respectful of the law to penalties of up to 14 years imprisonment.
Meanwhile criminals go about their usual business.
The government has claimed it has conducted public consultation however, it has been the typical conceive, inform and defend method that we see with this government, with even the vast number of public submissions submitted in response to the Consultation Paper being a "tick the box exercise", and resulting in minimal changes to the final bill.
The magnitude of concern in the community is reflected in a petition to parliament that at the time of writing has received over 23,000 signatures.
The petition requests a proper parliamentary enquiry into this issue and currently has the second largest recorded number of signatories with a further week to go.
What has been cloaked under the pretence of protecting public safety is being exposed as the ugly face of government overreach, and the trampling of people's liberties, privileges and freedom and a ceding of their rights to State control.
It's a slippery slope which will infect other areas of legislation and our lives should we decide to sit back and say it doesn't matter; it doesn't affect me.
