Gloria (No last name given) – WA Health

            Replying on behalf of Samantha Tilbury and Sara Fargher (Senate candidates)

Hello Zaine,

Please see the Health Australia Policy on firearms below:

It has been proven that countries where a high number of firearms are available within a community experience more deaths from firearms.
The mass shootings in the US average one per day, yet the US population does not trust its government to be the sole owner of guns.

In Australia we do not share this concern, so we need only have gun ownership for farm use or for use with registered gun clubs for target shooting only. Firearms must be appropriate for the task, Military capacity weapons should not be available for average citizens to purchase.

Kind regards,

Gloria

After I asked to clarify their inference that private ownership of firearms result in firearm crime –

Dear Zaine,

I will have to refer your request for more details to our national exec., although the simple comparison of Australian and USA data speaks for itself.

What I can say is that we can clearly respond to 2 of your questions

Firearm use in Western Australia for hunting pest animals    –  we see this as related to farm use, and support this under appropriately regulated conditions of course with properly trained and licensed shooters.

Firearm use in Western Australia for target/competition shooting  –  no problems at all –  this is covered in our policy

I cannot promise that your other inquiry will be answered before the election –  we are run by volunteers who are completely swamped with tasks at the moment. But

I hope the above clarification is useful.

Kind regards,

Gloria