18/12/2025
Member Action Needed Immediately
As a result of the recent tragedy in Bondi and the knee jerk reaction by the Federal Labor party blaming fi****ms once again i suggest members sit down and write to our local politicians advising them of our concerns and reiterating that licenced firearm owners were not the cause and should not be used as scapegoats for a ineffective Federal Labor Government.
This is not the time to sit on your hands and let "someone" else deal with the issue. It will only result in another 1996 introduction of further draconian firearm laws and erosion of our rights. We are already treated as criminals in waiting by the anti gun groups.
Our Shooting organisations such as Shooters Union cannot do this alone. ALL our members, families and fellow firearm owners need to jump onto this immediately and write emails, letters or make phone calls to our Government representatives both State and Federal Government.
If YOU don't help make our voices known, Do Not cry foul when you have your fi****ms taken away or reduced. Without everyone getting on board you may as well say goodbye to our fi****ms. Whilst you may think that they will only take certain fi****ms away, this is how it started in 1996. You will never get back what you lose if this goes ahead.
The Time is now to act and make your voice heard.
Below is an example that could be used. Feel free to amend and change/add your own thoughts. ChatGPT is pretty good for putting your concerns into a nice format.
Dear Minister,
I write in response to the tragic incident at Bondi Beach and extend my deepest sympathies to the victims, their families, and the first responders who placed themselves in harm’s way.
While tragedies often prompt calls for new firearm restrictions, I respectfully submit that Australia already has some of the strictest firearm laws globally. The overwhelming majority of licensed owners comply fully and pose no risk to public safety. This incident instead highlights failures in government oversight, enforcement of existing laws, and inter-agency accountability.
Reports indicate that at least one perpetrator was known to ASIO and flagged as early as six years ago for associations with extremists, including individuals linked to terrorism. Despite this, his father retained a fi****ms license and so both men continued to have access to fi****ms. This raises serious questions about how existing safeguards were applied, what role the fi****ms registry and relevant agencies played, and whether appropriate follow-up actions were taken.
Current legislation requires license holders to be “fit and proper persons,” and authorities have revoked licenses for sharing a residence with a criminal, suspected sovereign citizen ideology, motorcycle gang affiliations, mental health concerns, or comparatively minor issues such as speeding fines. The fact that potential extremists known to intelligence agencies remained licensed demonstrates not a gap in the law, but a failure to enforce it. This was a failure of intervention, not legislation.
The offender’s license makes the failure more serious, not less. Authorities had visibility and powers to monitor, suspend, or revoke licenses under existing laws, including those governing associations. If those powers had been exercised, this attack may have been prevented. Extremism—not licensing—was the cause.
Attempts to pivot toward further firearm restrictions, such as firearm caps, category bans, or Western Australian–style administrative crackdowns, distract from the real issue and unfairly punish compliant license holders. The solution lies in decisive action against violent extremists, proper use of existing powers, and accountability when agencies fail to act.
Finally, fairness and consistency must guide political responses. We rightly avoid judging entire communities by the actions of a few, yet law-abiding firearm owners are often scapegoated after such tragedies despite their proven record of compliance. Punitive measures applied broadly to responsible citizens will not deter extremists or correct systemic failures.
I urge you to ensure existing laws are enforced, warning signs are acted upon, and agencies are held accountable when their systems fail. Only this approach will meaningfully improve public safety without unfairly penalizing approximately 905,000 responsible Australian Firearm Licence Holders and voters.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Yours sincerely,
My suggested contacts would be:
Hon David Littleproud MP – Parliament of Australia
Hon David Crisafulli Premier
Daniel (Dan) Purdie MP
Hon Ann Leahy - Member for Warrego
The Shooters Union has sent alll members an email requesting support and assistance in this matter, if you didn't get a copy let me know and I will find one and send it to you.
If we fail to act we will be restricted even further possibly making it no longer viable to remain not only a Rifle and Pistol Club but you could lose your recreational shooting licences as well. This is not the time to be COMPLACENT.
regards
Shayne
Secretary
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