Katter is fired up over gun controls
INTERNAL departmental emails have revealed the state government’s decision to close licensed firearms dealers during the March lockdown was about limiting access to weapons and not COVID health concerns.
The emails, obtained by the Shooter’s Union through a Right to Information request, say the policy intent of limiting ammunition sales to recreational shooters was to “limit access to weapons and ammunition given the heightened anxiety some in the community were expected to experience during the COVID-19 emergency”.
“Limiting the sale or supply of weapons/ammunition will mitigate the risk of individuals using weapons either against themselves or intimate partners or family members, or of them committing serious offences in the community,” the report says.
Katter’s Australian Party leader Robbie Katter said the documents shows the state government used the COVID-19 pandemic as a smokescreen to push the ALP’S political gun agenda.
Mr Katter said the documents contained proof the government was making decisions based on political and ideological whims, as opposed to sound medical advice or best practice procedures. “This document makes it very clear these decisions were made by people with no expertise in the area and were not related to public health concerns at all,” the Member for Traeger said.
“The people who made these decisions were so incompetent that police officers were not able to buy ammunition to do their jobs.”
A spokesman for Premier
Annastacia Palaszczuk said all of Queensland’s measures containing the spread of COVID-19 were based on the Chief Health Officer’s advice.
“Their success can be measured in the fact that, today, Queensland has 25 active cases,” the spokesman said. “Dr Young provides the advice that has so far kept Queensland safe.
Mr Katter said the Premier forced people to queue to vote in the local government elections (March 28) the government closed gun shops.
He said the decision limited the ability of police, ADF and security personnel to access weapons, prevented licensed firearm owners like farmers from conducting pest control and protecting stock and immediately crippled the national industry, including small businesses.
But the spokesman for the Premier’s office said the elections were conducted safely, with no community transfer.
“A point never reported about the local government elections was how critical they were in installing Queensland’s mayors and councillors who form the basis of Queensland’s Disaster Management,” he said.