Posted on 02/25/2006 9:35:24 AM PST by kiriath_jearim
20,000 more guns 'a worry'
By CARA JENKIN 25feb06
THE number of guns registered in SA has surged by 20,000 in the past five years, despite measures to slash firearms ownership after the 1996 Port Arthur massacre.
The rise has sparked concern the odds of a similar tragedy happening here are growing.
Figures released to The Advertiser by the state's Firearms Registry show 348,127 guns are now registered in SA.
About two-thirds - or 221,681 guns - are .22 calibre rim-fire rifles and single or double-barrel shotguns.
In 1996, there were 364,354 guns registered in the state but in the two years following Port Arthur, the number decreased by 40,000 to 323,115, the lowest number in 10 years.
However, while gun numbers are rising, the number of licensed gun owners is falling.
During the past five years, the number of licensed gunholders decreased by a third from 97,617 to 63,296.
Legal gunholders now own on average 5.5 firearms each, compared to 3.7 firearms.
Victims of Crime chief executive Michael Dawson said it was a very worrying trend because most gun-related incidents occurred in the home.
"As a community, we should be looking for more long-term social changes after such a tragedy as Port Arthur," he said. "My other concern is firearms breed violence and encourage people to be more aggressive than if they don't have a firearm."
Long-time gun control campaigner Democrats MLC Iain Gilfillan said legislation needed to be introduced to prohibit storing firearms in private residences in the metropolitan area.
Opposition police spokesman Rob Brokenshire said an increase in the number of firearms did not necessarily mean more guns were on the street.
A spokesman for Police Minister Kevin Foley said an increase in legal guns was not concerning.
Nice
" bump that up to .308......That's the area code for REACHING OUT and Touching..right?
Australia (and its states) have Westminster style governments. A feature of such governments is that the major political party that is not in government - the party that could take over government by winning the next election - forms what is formally termed, a Loyal Opposition (very formerly, Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition). It is their duty to be available as an alternative government, and so for every major position in government, the opposition has a shadow position.
The Premier of a State is shadowed by the Leader of the Opposition in that state. The Police Minister is shadowed by an opposition Police spokesman (often referred to as a Shadow Minister). There is an entire Shadow Cabinet.
Normally a changeover occurs only after an election in which a new government takes over - but there are circumstances in which it can happen suddenly. The most notable case was on the 11th November 1975, when the Federal government started to run out of money, and the Prime Minister was unable to provide a workable solution to that problem. The entire government was sacked by the Governor General of Australia, and replaced by the Shadow Government (on a temporary basis only until an election could be held which they won and so continued their government).
The australians are such a sad bunch of pansies. Twenty thousand guns scares the crap out of them.
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