RIP Tim Fischer

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

RIP Tim Fischer

Craig1 · Guru

He was our local member and a gentleman.

Mike Harding · Guru

He sold out firearms owners in 1996, I'll not forgive him for that.

TheHeaths · Guru

Thankfully for the greater good!

From a personal standpoint, I felt he was one of the better ones we had over the years.

-- Edited by TheHeaths on Sunday 1st of September 2019 07:16:37 AM

Craig1 · Guru

A huge decrease in suicides from guns " that were just in the cupboard or shed" . I would thank him for that

Mike Harding · Guru

Craig1 wrote:
A huge decrease in suicides from guns " that were just in the cupboard or shed" . I would thank him for that

And a significant increase of suicide using other means. People don't stop being suicidal because they don't have a firearm.

There are now more legal firearms and firearm owners in Australia than pre 1996. The gun grab achieved nothing at all... except it's the first time, having lived in a few countries, that a government has seized my legally owned property.

Read beyond the newspapers and ABC if you are interested in finding out what has really happened since 1996, it's rather more complicated than they like to pretend.

Craig1 · Guru

Yep, I read today that you can get 96 Paracetemol for $6 give or take, and then take them all at once somehow. A terrible endicement? on modern society. Huge population increase since 1996 also Mike. But having had a 12 year old cousin do the horrible deed with one of those guns in a cupboard, good on you J W Howard and RIP T Fischer. This will be my last comment on this, so beg to differ Mike.

TheHeaths · Guru

www.vox.com/2015/8/27/9212725/australia-buyback

This reading suggests an alternate outcome to the buyback of automatic and semi automatic weapons at that time Mike. I would think a majority of Australians think the outcome was good for the country.

Certainly we havent had another Port Arthur, or a Columbine. Probably overall a good outcome for us.

Mike Harding · Guru

There was no "buyback" of automatic firearms as these have never been legal in Australia.

This was an interesting and enlightening interview I heard a couple of weeks past on Radio National Breakfast:

https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/breakfast/australias-gun-laws-havent-kept-us-safer,-says-unsw-professor/11433822

TheHeaths · Guru

Sorry Mike but link didnt work so havent read article.

Stand corrected on auto weapons and their legality, but I consider that the banning and buyback of semi auto weapons was a sound decision. I could not see any possible need for anyone other than the military to own such weapons, and neither could the Government of the day, of which Tim was a part. It has certainly made that type of event (Port Arthur) more difficult to plan and execute.

Anyway I will make no further comment, and apologise to OP for taking this thread off track from Tim.

-- Edited by TheHeaths on Thursday 5th of September 2019 07:42:14 AM

dorian · Guru

It doesn't matter if the changes to gun laws have made us safer or not. The fact is that people feel safer. Unlike the USA, we don't need to send our children to school with Kevlar vests.

As for Tim Fischer, I have no time for politicians, but he was a Vietnam veteran, so hats off to him for that.

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

Dorian me too . Just been in US for over 3 months . Was in area in Canada when the couple where murdered in Canada . Lived in Chicago for some time . The guns in US is way out of control. Its basically crooks V crooks . They know if they shoot at police its trouble times ten . Weve gone out with Chicago police in back seat on Saturday night . We have no idea here in Australia!! As a human being Tim was a good man .

RJ65 · Member

I am just an old fart with some slant to the left and the green, but not so much as would seriously compromise my intellectual honesty. That said, I think Tim Fischer was a good man, and an honest one. If there were more like him on the conservative side of politics, then we would have less problems.
I am a gun nut [or was]. Yeah, did the army bit. Nothing I like more than a day on the range. I still do occasionally. But I am not on a farm anymore, so why do I need a gun at home? I don't. There are gun clubs. So a day on the range? No hassle. Civilian guns are not easy to store safely. You can break down a military weapon real quick, and assemble it real quick, but keep the rifle, action, and ammo/magazine in separate safes. We got home invaded once. We had a drill, and could arm ourselves in less than twenty seconds. Better half, well she is a crack shot. Had the cavalry sword out too. The police came and collected him, and nobody was hurt.
The move by the Howard government was one of the best ever made. Yeah, you can demonstrate to your family, your friends and your community that you are safe with guns. But how would a stranger know that? That is what is wrong with the US. Nothing wrong with liking owning and using guns responsibly. A recent study of US gun owners discovered that 40% of gun owners did not lock their guns away safely, even with children present.
Naw, Howard and Fischer got that one right. We should be careful about people and gun ownership. It is not a right, but a privilege earned. We need to have evidence based-trust in those who have firearms and carry them. Particularly military grade weapons. So no bigots, or fanatics, no family abusers, no history of violence, stable mentality, and good reasons where and when people can own and tote gunz.
Because it is not about individuals, but about society. I know enough about war not to want to live in a war zone.
Anyway, Vale Tim Fischer!

landy · Guru

Seems like I'm in the minority here and have to agree with Mike when it comes to the gun buy back or should I say the compulsory acquisition of private property. Most of the millions of dollars the government spent acquiring peoples mainly low powered rabbit guns was taken strait to the gun shop to buy shiny new firearms to replace them with. What a waste of taxpayers money.

RJ65 · Member

I suppose it depended on the jurisdiction some states have more permissive gun laws than others. I gave up my semi-auto Ruger for example, but I could have fought it and gone through the hoops. I had a single shot rifle and an antique also. in the case of the antique I successfully fought to retain it and prevent the police from welding the inside of the barrel, as it would compromise its value. However, since I was no longer in the country [rural] I saw no need to have guns at all, and used the gun club range when I felt like some fun.