Yesterday we published COLFO’s submission on proposed gun regulations. It will be the last time we will publish anything from that organisation. They have capitulated to the Police and Government with their submissions.
The single most stupid part of their submission was this one, in response to a Police suggestion that firearms being transported in vehicles be secured to an anchor point:
Instead of simply telling the Police that this was unacceptable, they contorted themselves into agreeing with the Police suggestion.
They went even further with their next submission:
Again they should have just said no, but instead they’ve agreed with Police.
They clearly have never travelled with more than one firearm, as such recommendations aren’t fit for purpose and would be impossible to implement carrying anything more than two firearms.
Furthermore, their idea that vehicles should be required to have secure firearms storage similar to homes is inviting the Police to insist that 6 mm steel lockboxes be installed in vehicles, in the unlikely event that someone deliberately runs you off the road in order to obtain your firearms.
Before you laugh, this is what the top cop in charge of firearm licensing, Mike McIlraith, is running around telling everyone these recommendations are designed to prevent.
Never mind his sole piece of evidence that this is happening is a shaggy dog story out of Australia.
Never mind that the incidents of firearms being taken from vehicles are almost entirely restricted to firearms being taken from Police cars.
And never mind that the Police tried 6mm steel lock boxes in their vehicles and found them impossibly heavy, which is why all their lock boxes are aluminum.
The rest of COLFO’s submission is endless and useless waffle about dealers requirements. When dealers read what COLFO has submitted they will be after Michael Dowling‘s guts for garters. Sadly, Michael Dowling and COLFO are now part of the problem and cannot, and will not be part of any solution for licensed firearms owners. Quite simply, they have sold us out.
I wrote a strongly worded but polite response to Michael Dowling. I have not had the courtesy of a reply. I regularly donated $100 a year to COLFO and, despite years of silence and their pathetic “Fair and Reasonable”, I continued to support them, believing that they would stand up for shooters.
I will no longer support COLFO. They simply are not adequately representing licenced firearms owners and, from their latest submission, seem to believe that quiet acquiescence to the Police demands is the preferred policy position. I have asked for my last donation, made just days before their missive of surrender, to be returned.
It is time that there was an organisation that actually fought for gun owners. One that stands up not lies down. The Royal Commission laid the blame for the Christchurch massacre fairly and squarely at the feet of the Police, yet not a single person from the Police has suffered any consequences for failing us all. All of the consequences for the actions of a cowardly Australian terrorist have fallen onto innocent licenced firearms owners. Where were COLFO on the Police failings? Silent is where they were.
COLFO have wasted members’ resources pursuing forlorn legal strategies that have only benefited the lawyers COLFO engaged. There are far better legal avenues that could and should be pursued against Police and their unbridled gun-grabbing behaviour. Like suing those responsible for the poor vetting of Brenton Tarrant for negligence. Or suing Mike McIlraith for ongoing and substantial delays in renewals.
It is time to get tough. It is time to demand Police produce evidence for their claims for regulations and it is time to hold Mike McIlraith to account for his reported threats and intimidation at public meetings and his willingness to usurp the law-making ability of Parliament. He is on record as saying that Police are the “regulators”, not Parliament.
It is also time for politicians to suffer a coordinated campaign against them too. For too long organisations like COLFO have toadied up to politicians. Firstly it was to NZ First and Clayton Mitchell and then Ron Mark screwed that up. Then it was ACT. Anyone who believes ACT will stand up for gun owners is dreaming.
The only thing that politicians understand is the very real risk they will lose their seats. By my assessment there are 15 seats that should change hands at the next election. A new organisation should target those 15 seats and mount and conduct a third party campaign against the sitting MP. It is time that licensed firearms owners used their political clout wisely, instead of meekly kneeling before mad, gun-grabbing politicians and Police.
The message needs to be, no more changes, no more gun-grabbing. If you come for our guns we will come for your seat. Political parties just ignore licensed firearms owners. That needs to change.
Enough is enough. I’m ready, are you?