The Federal House of Representatives and Senate tallies have resulted in a solid defeat for all shooters’ parties nation-wide, according to Gun Control Australia.

Despite fears that One Nation and other shooter’s-rights parties could seize a balance of power in one or both Houses of Parliament in Canberra, the Australian electorate has shown its good sense and marginalised all the pro-gun parties.

Pro-gun groups have been eclipsed in Federal politics — and most satisfying of all, arch gun-proponents Pauline Hanson and David Oldfield of One Nation failed to win seats.

Near final election results saw the three other major pro-gun groups:

House of Representatives.
Australia First:(With exception of Graeme Campbell 22.8%) Average result of 18 seats 1.16%.
Australian Shooters Party: Average of five seats, 3.30%
Australian Reform Party: Average of three seats, 1.82%

Senate.
Australia First: (Ran in NSW, Qld and SA) Average of three states 0.56%
Australian Shooters Party: (Ran in Vic and WA) Average of two states 0.74%
Australian Reform Party: (Ran in Vic and Qld) Average of two states 0.18%

These are poor results from political parties which challenged gun owners to show that the ALP, the Coalition and the Democrats were despised and could never again be trusted.

The National President and Vice-Presidents of the Sporting Shooters Association told shooters:

“When you get to the polling booth on October 3rd the choice is clear. You can support the people who took your guns and those who helped them, or you can safeguard the future of private firearm ownership in Australia by voting for the people prepared to speak up on your behalf”.(SSAA Shooters Journal October 1998)

The leading candidate on the Australian Shooters Party Victorian Senate ticket, Graeme Eames, told shooters:

“Don’t waste your senate vote. Whatever your own personal political beliefs, you must cast a vote for the Shooters’ Party in the Senate. We can then prove how powerful we are”. (Journal of the Shooters Party – Victoria, September 1998)

Well guys it just didn’t work. Perhaps the average gun owner is a more reasonable person than the gun lobby leaders believe or, perhaps gun owners don’t trust the shooters parties.

Having failed to achieve national power, the Gun Lobby will now undoubtedly continue its strategy of nibbling away at each State’s gun laws.

The time has come to strengthen the gun laws not weaken them. We must see that a forceful shooter training and testing program in place – this is where the present gun laws are frightfully weak.