Kai Jones – Independent candidate (Senate)

Dear Zaine,

Thank you for the email and apologies for my delay.

I am your Independent, I run my campaign with my own resources, time and money. I don’t have a party line to toe and no lobbyists or faceless power brokers to appease. I support people, not parties. Every vote is a conscience vote.

I receive numerous requests for detailed comment and I’m responding to each request as comprehensively as possible. I still work my day job hence my reply late on a Sunday.

My respone to your questions:

For some background, I’ve only ever used firearms for animal control under direct and strict guidance from licensed users on private station and farm property in geographic locations which are far from any populated area. I have never participated in but know decent, law abiding people who participate in target/competition shooting.

Firearm use can have similar close range harmful impact as other weapons, the difference being that firearms are designed for and have the ability to release high speed projectiles, over short, medium or long distance, with the specific intention to injure, immobilise or kill, and, depending on the firearm, this can be done in single shots or in quick bursts with semi or fully automatic ability.

Objects found around the house which are not created as weapons but can be used as such can also be released over distance but at significantly less speed, requiring considerable aim, usually with significant time required to reload and release, and don’t usually have the ability to injure, immobilise or kill multiple people quickly or easily.

The most significant risk associated with weapons sale, ownership and possessions are insufficient character, psychological and related background checks for firearm wholesalers, retailers and licensed owners, insufficient safety and handling training for retail staff, insufficient appropriate safety and handling training and inadequate weapons storage and security for retailers and owners.

Single shot, sport and/or pest control weapons must only be available at designated weapons retailers who have adequate, appropriate and comprehensive weapons storage, and associated staff training for weapons handling, security and safety, for sale only to licensed weapons purchasers for use in accordance with their license conditions which must include weapons handling, security and safety.

There is no reason for semi and/or automatic weapons to be available in retail or similar environments; join the police or defence force if you wish to use those weapons.

As with any other situation, criminals who don’t care for the law won’t care for your lawfully owned possessions. Knives and other household implements are easy to obtain but their ability to harm is dependent on a persons aim and ability and usually restricted to arm-length or very close range. Your lawfully obtained single shot, sport and/or pest control firearm was not obtained for use against humans, and the likely intentionally harmful manner in which your firearm will probably be used against humans when handled by a criminal, or person with unpredictable and/or unstable mental health, is quite high; understanding this, firearms must always be stored well away from common/family areas in appropriately reinforced and secured device, with any and all safety mechanisms activated. electronic and/or other monitoring and alerting mechanisms active, and any other situationally appropriate mechanisms designed to significantly reduce the chance of unauthorised, unlawful and/or harmful activity which is likely to result from unauthorised access to your firearm.

Appropriate penalty and accountability mechanisms must apply for any entity or individual unlawfully possessing firearms, and any licensed entity or individual engaging in activity which as not in accordance with their license conditions; ie using firearms in an environment which is not safe or appropriate.

Further, the media, known for biased and/or selective information, often engaging social engineering and/or known sentiment in their continuous hunt for ratings, must publish contextually factual and accurate information about weapons related crime.

The above allows safety conscience, law abiding firearm owners to obtain and use their equipment safely and responsibly, whilst providing adequate safeguards to restrict or deny access to people who are likely to cause fear, harm, or, ultimately, use your firemarm to kill themselves and/or others.

Any further questions or comments, I’m happy to discuss.

Sincerely Kai Jones Your Independent Senate Candidate for WA “For positive difference and positive change” www.facebook.com/kaiforparliament www.kaijones.info ask@kaijones.info