Federal Firearms "Buy Back" Scheme Signup Deadline Passes

The deadline for states to sign up for the firearms "buyback" scheme proposed by the ALP Federal Government has passed, so far with only NSW and the ACT committing to it and Tasmania understood to be in discussions as part of their separately announced "buy back" program.

Queensland and the Northern Territory have explicitly and utterly rejected firearm "buy backs," rightly saying licenced shooters are not (and have never been) the problem, and instead focusing their efforts on criminals and terrorists instead. 

Victoria is conducting a review of its firearm laws, with the initial report expected fairly soon, and the re-elected South Australian premier had "no new restrictions on law-abiding gun owners" as an election promise; and one they are under additional pressure to keep given the results of the election. 

It is clear that the NSW laws and the Federal laws restricting the imports of innocuous items such as SMLE .303 charger clips and speedloaders for competition revolvers, were rushed, introduced and legilslated in bad faith, and should be amended (or better yet, repealed entirely) as a matter of urgency. 

*Yes, we know it is not a "buy back" but unfortunately that is the term the politicians and media are using, and the factual alternatives like "barely compensated confiscation" simply don't roll off the tongue or fit neatly into a headline.