13 replies to this topic

[Dash]

I can't beleive it. Yesterday the W.A. state government have rushed a law through, prohibiting crossbows without club membership, and total crossbow hunting ban ! I have rung around to find out that the WCSA and crossbow member clubs were not even notified. If anyone has any ideas how to help us out I'd greatly appreciate it. I'll get more details this week on how we can fight this. Some idiot killed a guy a couple of years ago from a crossbow. But instead of venting the anger at the killer, the family and friends have lobbied the state government to this point where all law abiding crossbowers and hunters will be affected now. I could handle the club membership, but the hunting ban, no way. We've lost enough rights now and are already a nanny state.  Also, after july 1st, anyone who isn't already in a club and already own a crossbow will not be able to buy one anymore. So this will kill the sport completely here.
We've got to put a stop to this. It's not too late.
I'll give more details as I get hold of them this week hopefully.
Here's the paper article below.



CROSSBOWS will become a prohibited weapon in WA, effective from this weekend.
Currently, as controlled weapons, crossbows can be legally purchased through a number of specialised outlets.

However, changes to the Weapons Act 1999 to reclassify crossbows to a prohibited weapon will come into effect this Saturday across Western Australia.

Police Minister Rob Johnson says the changes will help reduce the likelihood of a crossbow falling into the “wrong hands”.

Mr Johnson said he had been in regular contact with the Halstead family, whose son Christopher was killed with a crossbow in Karratha in 2009.

However a number of exceptions will apply for the possession of crossbows from this Saturday:

● Exempt collectors - genuine collectors of crossbows will be able to possess and continue collecting crossbows

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.● Exempt arbalest - anyone engaged in crossbow events or competitions and who belong to an Archery Australia Inc. member club (the changes will only allow those people who are currently engaged in the sport to continue this activity)

● Dramatic productions - producers of dramatic productions can apply in writing to the Commissioner of Police for an exemption notice in respect to any prohibited weapons (including crossbows) listed in Schedule 1 of the Weapons Regulations 1999

The provisions in respect to collectors, arbalests and dramatic productions will not commence until July 1 in order to give these groups and police enough time to process approvals without people committing offences.

Mr Johnson said he had met with a number of groups which indicated they had no objections to the changes.

Anyone with a crossbow who does not qualify for one of the three exceptions will need to lawfully dispose of their crossbow, destroy it or surrender it to a police station.

The penalty for buying, possessing, selling, supplying or manufacturing crossbows outside the exemptions is a $36,000 fine and three years jail

[Miguel from Portugal]

That's very bad !!!
Had you already try to speak to WCSA, try mr. Jonh Clark... he can give you a help.

[Big-Bird-VA]

What in the past has happened that made them take this drastic move?

[SPECIALIZED]

Big-Bird-VA, on 08 April 2011 - 11:50 AM, said:

What in the past has happened that made them take this drastic move?

Quote Dash" Some idiot killed a guy a couple of years ago from a crossbow. But instead of venting the anger at the killer, the family and friends have lobbied the state government to this point where all law abiding crossbowers and hunters will be affected now"

[Big-Bird-VA]

Typical knee-jerk government reaction. Now where have I seen that before?

[Jack Pine]

Dash, on 08 April 2011 - 10:20 AM, said:

I can't beleive it. Yesterday the W.A. state government have rushed a law through, prohibiting crossbows without club membership, and total crossbow hunting ban ! I have rung around to find out that the WCSA and crossbow member clubs were not even notified. If anyone has any ideas how to help us out I'd greatly appreciate it. I'll get more details this week on how we can fight this. Some idiot killed a guy a couple of years ago from a crossbow. But instead of venting the anger at the killer, the family and friends have lobbied the state government to this point where all law abiding crossbowers and hunters will be affected now. I could handle the club membership, but the hunting ban, no way. We've lost enough rights now and are already a nanny state.  Also, after july 1st, anyone who isn't already in a club and already own a crossbow will not be able to buy one anymore. So this will kill the sport completely here.
We've got to put a stop to this. It's not too late.
I'll give more details as I get hold of them this week hopefully.
Here's the paper article below.



CROSSBOWS will become a prohibited weapon in WA, effective from this weekend.
Currently, as controlled weapons, crossbows can be legally purchased through a number of specialised outlets.

However, changes to the Weapons Act 1999 to reclassify crossbows to a prohibited weapon will come into effect this Saturday across Western Australia.

Police Minister Rob Johnson says the changes will help reduce the likelihood of a crossbow falling into the “wrong hands”.

Mr Johnson said he had been in regular contact with the Halstead family, whose son Christopher was killed with a crossbow in Karratha in 2009.

However a number of exceptions will apply for the possession of crossbows from this Saturday:

● Exempt collectors - genuine collectors of crossbows will be able to possess and continue collecting crossbows

Start of sidebar. Skip to end of sidebar.
.End of sidebar. Return to start of sidebar.
.● Exempt arbalest - anyone engaged in crossbow events or competitions and who belong to an Archery Australia Inc. member club (the changes will only allow those people who are currently engaged in the sport to continue this activity)

● Dramatic productions - producers of dramatic productions can apply in writing to the Commissioner of Police for an exemption notice in respect to any prohibited weapons (including crossbows) listed in Schedule 1 of the Weapons Regulations 1999

The provisions in respect to collectors, arbalests and dramatic productions will not commence until July 1 in order to give these groups and police enough time to process approvals without people committing offences.

Mr Johnson said he had met with a number of groups which indicated they had no objections to the changes.

Anyone with a crossbow who does not qualify for one of the three exceptions will need to lawfully dispose of their crossbow, destroy it or surrender it to a police station.

The penalty for buying, possessing, selling, supplying or manufacturing crossbows outside the exemptions is a $36,000 fine and three years jail

Dash, our country isn't all that far behind yours in that respect.  This is a very complex issue.  
[Q] Why are you [and U.S.], continuing to elect politicians who are in favor of these bans that restrict your freedoms?  [A] Without finger-pointing or unnecessary bluntness, we get the government we deserve.  Your politicians [and ours] have hidden agendas that would prevent them from being elected if the general population knew what they were, so they don’t talk about that.  What they do talk about is [hope, change, etc] what they are going to give you, the voter [in exchange for your freedom].  Uninformed or apathetic voters who don’t look into and publicly expose the parliamentary and congressional voting records of these politicians will miss what they are all about.  This is how these gun-grabbing freedom thieves keep getting elected and keep eroding your freedoms incrementally.
[Q] Why do liberal politicians promote policies that tax businesses to death?  [A] This ruins the national economy so that liberal politicians can step in and offer “help” in the form of welfare [“safety net”] programs that kill incentives to work and excel.  If I no longer find a need to excel, I will no longer find a reason to invent and produce, adding a further drain on the national economy, which will allow the government to step in with even more “help” at the cost of your dignity and freedom.  It’s a vicious cycle that runs on the fuel of individual freedom.  When I accept government help, I subordinate my freedom to the state.  Ask any welfare mother or child daycare provider who accepts payments from the government if they have to meet certain government “guidelines”.  This governmental interference is part of the price I pay at the cost of my freedom when I accept government handouts.  I give them permission to come into my house and control how I live.  Willingly being on "government assistance" assures personal poverty and is the cruelest form of slavery I can think of.  Families and Churches used to assist in these matters until the government became our family and church.
[Q] Why do liberals tend toward government office?  [A] To totally infiltrate the infrastructure of the government to gain control to the point that even if someone who is conservative in their policies is elected, he will be handicapped by the concerted effort of liberals on every level of government, from the top level all the way down to the building inspector, school board, election workers, department of natural resources, even animal control.  
[Q] How can liberal judges get away with legislating and enforcing laws from the bench that are unconstitutional?  How can liberal judges overturn laws that pass constitutional muster, that were voter-approved [ask California, Arizona et al]?  [A] They have been appointed by liberal politicians to positions where they [think they] are “untouchable”.  Apathetic voters who won’t take the trouble to check voting records enable this.  These judges think they are god in black robes because no one has the courage to impeach them because they have been “dumbed-down” by politicians who tell them impeachment is a bad precedent to set [because politicians, lawyers, and judges stick together] and they realize they could be next.  Why do liberal judges continue with early release and "prison overcrowding" programs for murderers and child molestors who kill and rape again?  They know they can get away with it; they are "untouchable", no one will do anything but complain, and the louder the outcry, the more opportunity to pass "gun control" legislation that every sane person knows that criminals ignore. This is possible because both politician and people forget who has the real power in a “free” [for now] society.
[Q] What’s so bad about having liberal politicians and judges?  [A] Liberal judges appointed by liberal politicians are soft on crime ON PURPOSE.  It’s part of their hidden agenda to get you to willingly hand over your freedom.  If judges are soft on crime, this will create a condition where crime will become so prevalent that I will demand that something be done about it.  Instead of dealing with THE CRIMINAL, liberal judges and politicians can shift attention from the criminal to the instrument of his crime in an effort to make the “dumbed-down” population think it’s a good trade to give up their freedom to own a weapon to protect themselves, in favor of “safety” [read, tyranny]”, and the end result is that I get neither.  This is the reason liberals oppose the death penalty.  It's certainly not because of "compassion"; it serves their agenda by taking the fear of punishment out of criminal acts, to promote more violence which in turn produces more outcry for something to be done.  And the ignorant get a sense that something meaningful was done to prosecute a "war on crime".  Don't be fooled, God Himself gave us the death penalty as a means to protect us from those who would prey upon us, and yet liberals would like us to believe they are more compassionate than God because they find it objectionable to legally execute a murderer or child rapist.
Dash, I’m sorry to take up so much space, but although the problem is complex [this only scratched the surface], the solution is relatively simple: Become self-reliant, reject government “programs, help, aid, safety nets”, get rid of the liberals in your government, and be vigilant for signs that your freedoms are being taken away.  Don't stand for it, hold those politicians accountable, get informed about the political workings of your country and TELL YOUR FRIENDS WHAT'S HAPPENING AND THE CAUSE AND CURE OF IT. And I'll add this further: Stop sitting by and letting them do it, stop depending on "someone else", maybe you're the "someone else" your country needs right now.  Good people become enslaved because they let "someone else", someone who doesn't have your values, gain control of the government by default, without a fight.  It just may be that you'll need to run for political office to stop this erosion of rights.  Pardon this quote from the Bible: ESTHER 4:14 "...who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this? I only hope that our own population would also follow this plan before we become enslaved ourselves, but we are becoming a nation of sheeple.  Government no longer fears an unarmed population, and the vote of an unarmed population means nothing.

Jack ><>

Edited by Jack Pine, 13 April 2011 - 06:55 AM.

[Guide Girl]

Dash,
I'm so sorry for you but all I can do is offer what I would do here in the USA. Find a politician that will help will amending this new law or to make it null. THis means, you need to first, find out who all the members are that can change or write law. Then it's going to take one on one meetings with whomever is willing to sit down with you. There has to be some who don't go for the knee jerk reaction. This will take time and effort and you need to have others to help.

Being I don't know how your government system works, I'll just tell you what we did here in Texas with a state ruling made into law, that banned the sport of bowfishing. I am a director for the Texas Bow fishing Association and thi effected my area.

The law was written so it banned bow fishing in public waters in 12 south Texas counties, but allowed duck hunting with a shotgun. Why? The big landowners of south Texas feared bow fishing would allow bows to be used for poaching thier big deer. ( knee jerk reaction from a poaching incident with a bow.)

I informed the other directors what I wanted to do, so I had help. You need help. A club or org would be great. Numbers of voters count. We made phonecalls first and gathered info. I went to the original sponsor of the bill first. Of course, he claimed the law he wrote "inadvertantly" banned bow fishing. So, we found out who the new members were of the Agriculture/Rural/tourist committee ( that hunting and fishing falls under where law making is concerned). Our congress is made up of two sides- the Senate and the House of representatives. In order for a law change, a bill has to be written and sponsored by a member of Congress, either side, and before it can be heard and voted on in front of either the senate or house, it has to be fist heard and voted on in a hearing in one of the sub committees specifically for that kind of action ( wildlife,fishing rural affairs, tourism, etc) and pass first.

We spoke to those people and found a state Representative who agreed with us. So he agreed to sponsor a new bill but we felt we needed someone on the Senate side of congress to introduce it on the other side of congress. We thought we found someone, but then she later backed out claiming "That the big landowners and Judges who keep her being re-elected wouldn't like it" so she dropped out.( Judith Zaffarini of Laredo. been in office 20 years.) We didn't give up.

Next, we went back to the wildlife service for our state, who supposedly only enforce the laws, (but they do have connections)and working with them, THEY wrote an idea/HB3808 of how to please most, and worked with the one representative we had willing, and it went to the committee at the state capitol and the head of the law enforcement for the wildlife service and the head of the fisheries division helped by testifying (since they wrote it) and of course then it passed with no opposition, due to the "experts" who work for the state writing the new bill and testifying. It's not perfect, and kinda has some things within the new bill we didn't like, kind of micro managing the bows and boats, BUT that's okay because it opens up those waters again to our sport. We can go back later and amend what we didn't like. ( you can't have a bow on your boat that doesn't have a fishing reel attached to it, or an arrow with fletching on the boat. Not that big of a deal for the exchange we have).

So, in short, try to find the legislators who are sympathetic and find the people within the wildlife division that are sympathetic and ask for thier help. Find out how your countries law making system works. You have to know the rules of the game in order to play and win.

Look at money makers like the tourism dept where out of county hunters pay big money to hunt in that country, and outfitters and guides are involved. It affects them and revenue for the country. Look at the local wildlife dept where management and revenue is concerned. Look for new legislators who are wanting to make a name for themselves and anxious. Let an "expert" write and change the law using tools like mandatory Hunters Ed, and registration if that's what it takes as with guns, or only being illegal within a populus area. Don't volunteer that later, but agree with it if that's what it takes this round to get what you want. Anything can always be ammended later.

It's kinda like outlawing pencils when someone writes a suicide note. I'm certain you can find like minded people in power, but you just can't give up and be patient, and get over any frustration that will stop you in your tracks. You can do it! Baby steps forward if that's what it takes. The story I've told you has been ongoing for 12 years and we picked this up this past fall and got it done in less than one year because we kept at it. We also, as an org, have voluntarily been helping our state wildlife division with thier studies and proijects on wildlife/fish, and volunteer to help as a club when we can. Hunters Education is important to them, so we work with them at public events as well.
Go to the crossbow club and speak to their board first, then have them get involved as a group (of potential voters who will vote them out, but that's unspoken).

Good luck!

Edited by Guide Girl, 13 April 2011 - 11:51 AM.

[Hoosier Hunter]

As I understand no verticalarchery clubs came to aid of the crossbowers. Do they think they will not be next?

"Hang together or HANG seperately"

[blackjack]

SPECIALIZED, on 08 April 2011 - 11:53 AM, said:

Quote Dash" Some idiot killed a guy a couple of years ago from a crossbow. But instead of venting the anger at the killer, the family and friends have lobbied the state government to this point where all law abiding crossbowers and hunters will be affected now"

mate a few roo's got shot but probley just propaganda. this was the first death by a crossbow in western australia that we no off they just hate us enjoying life & want total control, but make no mistake its going all over the world its an epademic. regards frank (australia)

[Lightfoot]

Blackjack,

A torsion powered "crossbow" by definition is a "manuballista" and so a separate category of weaponry that might not fall under under that particular law. As well, I know a gentleman who was making and selling slingbows or rubber band powered "cross bows" in great numbers because of the ban in other parts of Au.

If vertical archery is still allowed, then I would be checking into the regulations governing the use of draw-locs.

It would all be in the wording I guess...

There are also a number of nuisance "invading species" creating havoc there in various ecosystems. Rabbits go nuts, every so many years there, and I have heard of wild camels being in overabundance etc. There are nuisance animals that must be culled or eliminated altogether in order to restore balance to the various ecological niches neccessary to indigenous species survival.

There is always a way if one is determined, and willing to put thought into action. I wish you the best of luck, and if you should have need of a manuballista....

Currently worldwide there is no one manufacturing them. As they dont exist yet, but may be available to public as soon as 2012 and you may be able to resume your hunting and recreational target shooting activities.

Wishing you the best in your battle.

L.

blackjack, on 23 April 2011 - 07:03 AM, said:

mate a few roo's got shot but probley just propaganda. this was the first death by a crossbow in western australia that we no off they just hate us enjoying life & want total control, but make no mistake its going all over the world its an epademic. regards frank (australia)

Edited by Lightfoot, 31 July 2011 - 03:30 PM.

[time4revo]

After the silence of the Aussie Gun ban a few years back the law makers know they have nothing to fear from aussies since you just sit back and take it. You need to be the most vocal and politically active group in austrailia if you want to keep or in your cases regain your rights ! Time to becomme active lobyists for your cause...I wish you luck !

[Boltman]

Hi Dash,
I am living in SA. Not quite a permanent resident yet, but thinking about solving my new country's problems (well, some of them anyway). I will do some research in my spare time, however, what do you think about forming our own political party or mixing up with folks like us who are already organised? There is a shooter's party in this country. Let's try to find out how to get in touch with them, or alternatively, determine what it would take to organise our own movement. It is only through some form of political alternative action that we can get some common sense back into things. What do you think, mate?

[SFA Member]

Hi Dash
I live in SA and my only suggestion is to contact Sporting Shooters Association of Australia
and put your case to them and see what happens.

http://www.ssaa.org.au

Good luck it may happen to us.

Regards Graham

Edited by SFA Member, 03 August 2011 - 07:04 PM.

[See4miles]

Very sad situation Dash. Lightfoot offered some great insights.