OPEN your gun safe then look at the prices below. If you’re in WA, seeing your local MP is a very small price to pay, to fix a very big problem. We tell you how.
WA’s proposed gun buyback is not a buyback. It’s theft.
As you will have heard, Paul Papalia has announced a buyback of firearms, mainly from the new limit of the number of guns that WA shooters will be able to own.
THIS ARTICLE looks at the politics around this move – but first, let’s look at what is being offered.
Open your safe, and you won’t recognise those values. Also, there is nothing being offered for accessories or ammunition.
However rather than throw your hands up in the air, we’ll let you know what you can do about this later in this article.
Welcome to Harris Scarfe’s basement
(Sorry – that’s a very Adelaide thing to say)
Here is a quick rundown of some examples that were provided to us:
| Firearm | Buyback price | Market value |
|---|---|---|
| 10yo Sako85 VLS | $525 | $2,000 |
| 111yo Lithgow SMLE 303 | $525 | $2,500 |
| 20yo Beretta DT10 12g | $420 | $8,500 |
| 7yo Sako Quad Range 22lr | $233 | $1,500 |
The WA Firearms Community Alliance spoke to 6PR about the buyback. Click here to listen to that interview.
Throw back to 1996
Papalia told the media that the buyback was modelled on Howard’s 1996 buyback.
No it wasn’t. This buyback was informed by values plucked out of thin air. The 96 buyback was developed with prices informed by dealers and traders. That means firearm owners got the true value of what they surrendered.
Owners also had the ability to appeal the prices and seek independent valuations.
Papalia has done none of this. His prices are highway robbery.
“Get another hobby”
It should be obvious that Papalia is not only short-changing you, he’s doing it deliberately and “in your face”.
He wants to shut shooting down. Remember, he previously said of shooters who didn’t like his approach, to “get another hobby”.
This is only an affront to shooters and disrespecting your value as a citizen, but it shows the Cook Government’s lack of understanding and respect for the shooting community.
In response, the Alliance put out a TV ad out attacking Papalia over his statement. The ad came out before the buyback prices were announced.
Here’s a link to see that ad: it’s worth a watch.
His track record
Let’s quickly remind you of Papalia’s record.
You will recall Papalia created the risk of home invasions by releasing maps of the location of shooters to the media.
He also described the actions of our own group and one of our peers in Queensland as modelled on the US NRA and wanting “unlimited guns for everyone”. These claims are false: these words have never come from either group and are nothing more than insults.
He’s about to bring in new legislation that will require you to get regular mental health checks, give him the ability to reclassify any firearm, increase storage requirements and make property letters significantly harder to obtain.
He previously held a media event at the Pinjar Range when it was later revealed that it caused the nearby RAAF Base at Pearce to suspend operations.
Meanwhile, crime is up. Police crime statistics (click here for a link) show steady growth in crime under Papalia’s watch.
That’s why he has to go
Papalia has not only done significant damage in WA, there is no suggestion he’s about to stop.
As a shooter, you can’t simply throw your hands up in the air and wish this away. If you do nothing, you’ll cop more.
However YOU CAN STOP THIS. What you need to do is make the time to see your local MP. It’ll take you five minutes to make the appointment and allow 30 minutes to see them.
That’s just half an hour of your time!
The value of taking action
It will now be clear to every shooter that these laws are not about public safety but putting up barriers to cripple the shooting sports.
The shooting community in Western Australia cannot just stand idly by while they are trampled on by a government that fails to recognize their social, economic and environmental contributions to the community.
The election in 2025 presents an opportunity for shooters to make their voices heard loud and clear. It is a chance to use the process to ensure candidates respect the rights of firearm owners and understand the importance of balancing public safety with individual liberties.
Shooters must actively engage in the political process, supporting candidates who support good firearm laws.
Paul Papalia’s disregard for shooters and their rights is a stark reminder of the importance of political engagement and activism.
The shooting community cannot let such blatant attacks on their rights and values continue. It is time for shooters to make their voices heard at the ballot box.
You’re reading this on your phone, laptop or computer. Do not leave it without taking the first step, which is to contact your local MP. Send them an email before you leave your chair.
A very small price every shooter should pay
Seeing your local MP will take you around half an hour of your time.
Doing this is a small price to pay to help fix a very big problem facing every shooter in WA.
Find out who your local MP is (along with their contact details) by clicking here.
Tell your MP that you’re angry about what is going on.
Tell them that this is a key issue that you – and your family – will be voting on at the WA State Election, which will be held in March 2025.
If they’re from the ALP, tell them to expect shooters to dessert them, particularly in marginal seats.
Don’t accept anything less than their willingness to ‘cross the floor’ and vote against the new laws.
That’s because they’ve had plenty of time to look after shooters – and have done the opposite.
They won’t like hearing what you have to say, but they will get the message.
Don’t worry that the election is a year away.
The laws may come and you may lose stuff, but if enough shooters do what they need to do, then that will change – but it will depend on how many shooters do this.
If the MP (like Hugh Jones) won’t see you, front up to their office anyway and say you are a constituent and are entitled to see your local MP.
They might ask you to leave (which you need to do), but your point will have been made. Follow it up with a letter or email.
You’re not alone
WE’RE GETTING THIS message out to as many shooters as possible because there’s strength in numbers.
Send this to three other shooters you know – and get them to send it to another three shooters that they each know.
This article will tell them what they need to know – and what they need to do.
Why not put this on your club’s noticeboard?
Papalia needs to get a new hobby as his current one of believing himself to be Chancellor of WA with unlimited powers needs to be brought to a dramatic end.
BANG on there…
Labour have the majority in the house and have an agenda ( like native title ) regardless of the people it’s supposed to represent.
How about some TV ads in WA exposing Papalia’s bad behaviour? He hardly has a spotless track record when it comes to protecting the community, the thing he claims to be motivated by. I’ll throw in $100 to start. And maybe give pollie’s in the other states a bit of a heads up before they decide to jump on the band wagon.
That arsole will get old one day and i hope his mind fries up like a burnt chop . At 75 fullbore club shooting is the one thing i can still do to keep me mind active ,if you don’t use it you loose it and then i will be sitting in an old age home staring at the walls . He will end up getting us all just by making it too hard for a club to operate or too expensive to own a firearm and if you are a full bore shooter we know that it ain’t a cheep sport so there goes all the pensioner shooters , but he couldn’t give a rats arse. What goes round usually comes round in some form
Yep, I’m too old to swing a squash racquet anymore , too many injuries as well. Can’t bend for lawn bowls, but I can hold a firearm and shoot straight.
how can we get rid of these narcist pollys he,s a cook in the navy and ran laundry mats (cash only) but we will never no, he doesnt have a life
Papsmere at it again, attacking the most regulated section of the entire community
We live in a rural area and regularly do vermin control, pigs, foxes, rabbits, what is going to happen when all of the above are in plague proportions, more 1080 has papalia ever watched the effects of 1080 on a feral animal, shooting is the most humain way to control these animals. The bad guy’s are always going to be able to access guns why penalise responsible shooters, won’t be voting Labour next election.
Is it starting a go fund me page to support the ones who our fighting for our rights I’m sure many around the world would support the cause . Not sure if the money will help but would help with ads against them etc
Hi Josh.
Thanks for this. Yes, we’ve done that in the past and it helped. Am likely to do it again.
Regards
Neil
I have read parts of the bill they submitted on Wednesday.
It is a long read, several hundreds of pages.
Here are some call out clauses for those wanting to review it include:
Clause 30 – where they limit the guns – what is next??
Clause 148 – around that area where they talk about “may” need to do Health checks. So even that is not clear if they are or are not requiring that…. and how it would work etc.
Clause 150 – this is one of the weirder ones where they can basically tell you your are not allowed a lic because of your views! Is Australia a free country anymore? This is actually pretty worrying.
Anyway I am still working my way through it and will definitely be emailing my MP my concerns as this whole thing is supposed to be public safety but seems like it is just targeting law abiding citizens, wasting money they could spend on mental health facilities and focusing on crime > which might actually help public safety!
Thanks Mack
This is interesting indeed. The ‘may’ statement is telling. That obviously came from pressure – not just from shooters, but those who provide those services who really want to focus on those who need mental health support.
The ‘views’ and ‘way of living’ clauses are really odd. We covered that in a podcast in December and I’d suggest this will draw a lot of attention when the bill goes through parliament. Are they saying gay people shouldn’t have guns? People who might seem a bit weird but have never broken the law? Are we meant to have one of ten types of haircuts as is the case in North Korea?
Ta Neil
Given the way marxists in Sydney were behaving in the dying days of the Cold War it will be the other way around: not being one of the interest groups who could be told they’re being ‘discriminated against’, or ‘oppressed’ and given a hit list, that’s just a list and could come from anywhere, is more likely to get you denied a firearm.
It’s to keep guns off the streets…. The only guns on the streets are that around the police officers waste. What’s is Papalia’s true agenda and Maybe He should be concentrating on Why there are police committing suicide and We don’t really see this reported in the news or maybe I haven’t seen it?
Papalia’s agenda is to disarm private citizens. The guy has no reponse to firearm related crime other than creating the illusion that he’s doing something for voters by going after the easy targets. He’s the thin edge of the wedge. Soon we’ll be fighting the same thing in the Eastern States. WA shooters need to unite to fight this now, and the rest of us neecd to support them financially to do it.
Papalia is a tyrant destroying the Australian way of life
In all your articles you never say what I was told in Sydney’s north in the late 80’s to early 90’s: when people are able to carefully select corruptible politicians, moral panacea is always covered. Always.
Identify the panacea and you can dismantle it.
In this case that requires a leak from with the Labour Party. I’ve never had access to those. I never moved in those circles.
In a resent West Aust paper there were no less than 4 different story’s about people and firearms and then a story about a female cop in Albany who committed suicide BUT absolutely no mention HOW then just this past week a cop takes his firearm from the station and shoots two people NOW I am wondering if the Albany Cop also took her firearm “home”
I know many will say this is insensitive BUT if she did infact use her police issued firearm then the police really need to clean their own house first and improve their Mental health checks on their own and LOOK AFTER them and improve their firearm security
To many cops are carrying firearms for “public safety” yet actually use them when there is no risk to the public to shoot a dog or unarmed difficult person then claim it was in the public good, or they (the police) were at risk.
I can say with perfect TRUTH that I know of a particular police shooting some years back where the cop responsible said to ME I didnt want him going to court and getting off again he has breached good order and respectable citizen enough time to remove him from society.
This was NOT in WA and I was a serving member of the ADF at the time.
I know my guns and gun safety I have put more bullets in TARGETS than any copper I have trained soldiers in small arms and conducted range practices Here is the kicker NOT only for the ADF but TWO different state police forces
I have owned a gun of some type since I was 18 and NEVER had a gun safety incident. I cannot say the same for some POLICE in any state or territory especially when they wont even turn up for their mandatory firearms range qualification shoot and that includes senior police
Papsmear and the rest of the Labour Party need to come to their senses before WA is crippled by their hare brained ideas. What’s next on their hit list that they think will make them important. It’s all political bullshit that they think will get them back in power at the next election. HA HA. Spend some money on the people who are struggling not on new ferry services and all the other bullshit that we can do without at the moment. We have people sleeping wherever they can lay a blanket, can’t feed themselves or have decent clothes. Lots have lost their homes and their families and jobs. But this Government doesn’t give a shit. No votes to be had there. Back to the firearms debacle, any one with half an ounce of intelligence knows that it’s not the law abiding citizen with their firearm locked away in the safe that causes any problems. This is just going to make the so called problem worse, the baddies will still have access to illegal weapons. They are so easy to manufacture nowadays with all the technology available, 3d printers etc.