WA proposal to restrict bow sales to minors and ban bowhunting
Some of you may be aware of a letter from the WA Minister for Police to a NT archer/bowhunter in relation to an enquiry regarding proposed changes to the WA Weapons Act 1999 and the Weapons Regulations 1999.
There is also a flyer doing the rounds asking for people to write to the Minister in defence of bowhunting.
Thank you to the members of 3DAAA would have sought to bring this to my attention however I have been aware of both the letter and flyer since they first surfaced.
I have written to the Queensland Minister for Police seeking clarification of some of the points mentioned by the WA Minister and seeking a copy of a document to which he referred.
Under our MOU, 3DAAA and ABA are working to develop a strategy to manage the issue. We do not believe that writing to any politican before we know the full facts will assist in the effort. Once we understand the drivers behind the proposed changes we can make a more informed response.
regards
Neil Digweed
Acting President
Over the week-end, 3DAAA and ABA drafted a request to meet with the WA Minister. It was not a simple request but one which had to include the topics for discussion and the attendees names.
The delegation will include executive members from the three archery associations; 3DAAA, ABA and AA.
The meeting will be at the pleasure of the Minister and there is no guarantee that we will meet.
I received word yesterday that Minister Johnson's office has received our request for a meeting and it is their intention to give us that opportunity.
Bows and crossbows have been controlled weapons in WA for 10 years now, it is not new. Minister Johnson's letter is suggesting that his party may wish to take it further. In his letter he uses words like should, and proposed, and considering. There is no bill waiting to make changes to prohibited weapons laws in this regard or ban bowhunting.
Doesn't mean they wont look at it but at the moment there is no law pending.
Which is exactly why we have asked for a meeting with Minister Johnson. We want to know where this is going. But it is not going to happen over night and I anticipate the meeting will happen mid to late January
I understand that this preceived in-action is frustrating to some however governments can work extremely slowly at times. There will be no quick fix to this issue so we will continue work on the issues and as soon as we have any more information we will pass it on.
We received formal advice today that the meeting with the Police Minister will be on 9 February 2010. Between now and then, all the parties involved in the meeting will agree on a strategy to best present our case.
The meeting was held on Tuesday 9 February as scheduled. Representatives from ABA and 3DAAA met with the Minister, his advisors and a uniformed officer from the Firearms Registery office.
We were given an opportunity to put forward our case on both the bow ownership and bowhunting issues. Both the Minister and his principal policy advisor asked a number of questions in relation to bow ownership and the association's activities in other states
There seems no doubt that the WA Government will place some form of restriction on crossbows similar to other States but the question of bow ownership remained un-resolved at the end of the meeting. It would have been un-realistic however to expect a definitive answer from that meeting. The Minister has agreed to consider our submission and advise us in due course.
The issue of bowhunting is being driven by recent events in WA (which is still before the court) and lobbying from the RSPCA. Discussions will continue however, until the matter is finally resolved there will be no further comment on this site.