Petition against the negative consequences of the Firearms and Weapons Legislation Amendment (Criminal Use) Bill
Petitioner:
Mr Lance Miller
| Member:
Donato, Philip
| No. of Signatories:
28,456
| Date closed:
04/05/2021
To the Speaker and Members of the Legislative Assembly, this petition of New South Wales citizens, calls on the New South Wales Government to amend the Firearms and Weapons Legislation Amendment (Criminal Use) Bill 2020 (the Bill).
The Bill presumes a person ‘takes part’ in the unauthorised manufacture of a firearm or firearm part merely by being in possession of a ‘firearm precursor’. Firearm precursors, as dictated by the Bill, have many other legitimate uses, including essential safety practices.
Legal firearms owners, including farmers, sports shooters and hunters, as well as businesses, volunteer and training organisations, all have a legitimate need to possess what the Bill considers a firearm precursor to repair and maintain essential equipment.
The Bill requires major revision to make it clear that licenced firearms owners can make minor modifications to registered firearms and possess ordinary hardware items (as is currently permitted by law), without being guilty of a criminal offence.
This Bill must not remove basic legal rights under common law, including the presumption of innocence and the right to silence. The Bill must also define the term “legal firearms owner” ensuring that the stated objectives of the Bill are met; ie targeting criminal activity only.
We, the undersigned petitioners, ask the Legislative Assembly and the New South Wales Government, to ensure that the final draft of the Bill does not criminalise legal firearms owners and that citizens of NSW are not subject to the loss of civil liberties because of the Bill.
