Gun News Australia: the latest news for Aussie shooters

THE NSW STATE BUDGET contains a major firearms policy admission: the Government says it has committed to participating in the National Gun Buyback Scheme and is working with the Australian Government on funding and parameters.

However, when we reviewed the Budget papers, we found clear money for the Firearms Registry, the National Firearms Register and police capability -but no clear, dedicated line item for compensation.

If NSW has committed to a national buyback, when will licensed shooters be told what firearms are affected, how compensation will be calculated, and who is paying for it?

MAJOR FIREARMS POLICY WORK is being done through official working groups, but licensed shooters are being left to reconstruct the process through FOI requests, redacted documents and multiple review appeals.

IN THIS EPISODE of Gun News Australia, we begin an investigation into the Firearms and Weapons Policy Working Group and the awkwardly named Inconsistency Sub-Working Group.

Official documents show the sub-working group appeared as an agenda item in September 2023, with an update and next steps. The same meeting papers show proposed Terms of Reference changes, including inconsistency issues becoming a standing agenda item for Registry Managers Group meetings.

A related NSW IPC review later found a NSW Police refusal to release the same documents was not justified and recommended a new decision.

WITH TWO state elections looming (Vic / NSW), we speak with One Nation about its firearms policy.

Labor doesn't have one, and the Liberals don't have one either – leaving One Nation ahead of the pack.

That raises an important question for licensed shooters: how can voters make an informed decision if political parties won't clearly explain where they stand?

The discussion also explores transparency, consultation, evidence-based policymaking and the importance of holding governments and political parties accountable for the laws they propose.

If you value factual reporting, interviews and accountability on firearms policy, please subscribe to Gun News Australia and join the discussion in the comments.

#GunNewsAustralia #FirearmsPolicy #OneNation #LicensedShooters #Hunting #SportShooting #Victoria #NSW #AustralianPolitics #Firearms

THREE YEARS AGO Western Australian shooters found themselves at the centre of the “Connect the Guns” controversy.

Maps showing where firearm owners live were published across the state and public safety concerns were cited as part of the broader debate surrounding firearms reform.

The response we received did not conclude that such incidents never occurred. Nor did it make any finding about the overall impact of firearm theft.

However, WA Police advised that no documents could be located within the scope of the request.

THE VICTORIAN GOVERNMENT has introduced new firearms legislation that could significantly affect licensed shooters across the state.

#GunNewsAustralia #FirearmsPolicy #GunLaws #LicensedShooters #VictorianPolitics #GovernmentAccountability #FirearmsConsultativeCommittee #PublicPolicy #PoliticalTransparency #ShootersRights

THE VICTORIAN Government has announced another round of firearms law changes, while anti-duck hunting activists continue to push for further restrictions on hunting and shooting activities across the state.

In this episode of Gun News Australia, we sit down with Danny Ryan, President of Sporting Clays Victoria, to discuss the growing political pressure facing licensed shooters and hunters in Victoria.

We examine the shady role of the Animal Justice Party, the campaign against duck hunting, and ask where they're getting their significant funding war chest from.

We also discuss how firearms policy is increasingly being announced through media releases and political staging, often before shooters have had an opportunity to see the detail or have meaningful input into the process.

What evidence is driving these proposals? What problem is the government trying to solve? And what should shooters be demanding from politicians before any further restrictions are introduced?

With Victoria heading towards a state election, these questions are becoming increasingly important for licensed shooters, hunters and sporting participants across the state.

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

#GunNewsAustralia #DannyRyan #DuckHunting #AnimalJusticeParty #VictorianPolitics #FirearmsLaw #GunLaws #LicensedShooters #Hunting #Victoria

FOR DECADES, licensed shooters have found themselves fighting the same battles over and over again.

A new restriction is proposed. Organisations mobilise. Submissions are written. Legal challenges are considered. Campaigns are launched. Sometimes we win. Sometimes we lose.

Then a few years later, the entire process starts again.

But what if we've been approaching the problem the wrong way?

In this episode of Gun News Australia, we look at a different way of thinking about firearms advocacy. Instead of focusing solely on stopping the next restriction, buyback or regulatory change after it has already been proposed, we examine how licensed shooters can influence the political environment before those proposals ever reach the table.

We discuss why politicians respond to incentives, why elections matter more than many people realise, and why becoming a recognised voting bloc may be the most effective long-term strategy available to licensed shooters.

This isn't a discussion about one specific policy proposal. It's a discussion about how lasting political change actually occurs, and what it would take for governments to start viewing firearms policy through a different lens.

Can licensed shooters become a genuine political force in Australia, or are we destined to keep fighting the same battles one regulation at a time?

Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

If you'd like to support independent firearms policy analysis, please consider supporting Gun News Australia through Buy Me a Coffee or Patreon.

#GunNewsAustralia #AustralianPolitics #FirearmsPolicy #LicensedShooters #ShootingSports #ElectionStrategy #PoliticalAdvocacy #GunLawsAustralia #ShootingCommunity #AustralianElections

WE SPEAK WITH Sean Fraser to dissect the recently released Ken Lay Rapid Review into Victoria’s firearm laws.

The Victorian Government has accepted 15 out of 16 recommendations, paving the way for sweeping administrative shifts that directly target licensed Victorian shooters.

We break down the deliberately laid "landmines" hidden in this report, including the open ended definitions of "high-risk" firearms, and permit fee increases that will force Victorian shooters to pay more under the Allan Labor Government.

From bans targeting non-citizen shooters to the further fragmentation of the National Firearms Agreement, we look at the hard facts.

Our community faces an uphill battle as state-specific registries push restrictive agendas that ignore 130 years of established firearm technology.

We cut through the political rhetoric to ensure grassroots shooting sports participants stay informed, unified, and equipped to protect our sport.

See the full gun law review report at: https://files.justice.vic.gov.au/2026-05/Rapid-Review-Victoria-Firearm-Laws.pdf

See the state government’s response at: https://files.justice.vic.gov.au/2026-05/Rapid-Review-Victoria-Firearm-Laws-Government-Response.pdf

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In this episode, we break down a new economic report that reveals the proposed Victorian gun buyback scheme will return less than one cent in benefits for every dollar spent.

We examine the cost-benefit analysis commissioned by Shooters Union Australia that shows taxpayers will spend $886 million for a benefit-to-cost ratio of just 0.28 to 0.34.

The report found no statistical evidence that reducing legally owned firearms prevents mass shootings or reduces firearm homicides. It will impact over 200,000 licensed shooters who will lose their firearms, the $120 million in lost business activity affecting gun shops and related businesses, and the $137 million in administrative costs.

We also look at what the 1996 Port Arthur buyback data actually shows and why this policy will remove firearms from legal owners while doing nothing to address illegal firearms smuggled through Australian ports. With Victoria's election in November, we believe taxpayers deserve to know what they're getting for their money.

#GunNewsAustralia #VictorianElection #GunBuyback #CostBenefitAnalysis #FirearmPolicy #AustralianPolitics #ShootersUnion #VictorianGunLaws

WE LOOK AT what the seismic emergence of One Nation after recent elections means for firearm owners across the country.

One Nation's stunning performance in the South Australian state election saw them capture 24.4% of the vote and four lower house seats, dramatically outpolling the Liberals.  They also captured three upper house seats.

This momentum continued through the Nepean by-election, where they gained 24.5% of the vote, and their decisive victory in Farrer with 57.5% of the vote on a two-party-preferred basis.

The trend is unmistakable.  These three results point to the collapse of the Liberal Party’s place as the alternative government, and the retreat of far-left parties like the Greens and Animal Justice Party.

With Victoria's upcoming November state election, this trend looks set to continue, which can only be good for shooters.

We also examine critical issues including political trust, preference deals, the detrimental impact that firearm policy uncertainty has for dealers and shooters, and why engagement with local MPs matters now more than ever.

Like, Subscribe, and hit the notification bell to stay informed on Australian shooting politics!

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JOIN US ON PATREON

Join our Patreon channel and get our episodes before they are released more widely at:  https://www.patreon.com/c/PoliticsReloaded/membership

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DONATE NOW – and support our work

You can back our work by donating at https://politicsreloaded.com/donate/

#PoliticsReloaded #OneNation #AustralianPolitics #GunRights #FirearmOwners #VictorianElection #ShootersRights #AussieShooting