Soon the Australasian Police Ministers Council will meet to decide on the details of a new Shooters Licence.

The present Licence regime is totally inadequate and fails to filter out careless, macho applicants — or to discipline would-be shooters into strict and competent behaviour with guns. It is a product of the 1970′s, improved in minor ways in the 1980′s and 1990′s. It remains the weakest link in gun laws throughout all Australian jurusdictions.

We know that learning gives knowledge and discipline. Advertisements warn about poor driving habits (drink-driving or speeding) to make us aware of the tragic consequences of careless or aggressive behaviour with cars. And yet, there is no such material in the course for a Shooters Licence — despite the fact that guns are far more dangerous than cars.

We are also told that it takes at least 120 hours to learn how to drive safely in traffic — yet would-be shooters are required to do no more than about two to five hours training and testing. This is as ridiculous as it is irresponsible.

A minimum of 20 hours training is required for shooters and every five years shooters should have to retake a 10-hour update course.

The training program must be at an academic institution and and must include two sessions on the tragic consequences of misbehaviour with guns.

A thorough testing program should be required consisting of two or three written exams each requiring approximately one hour’s effort.

The safety of the Australian public is now, once again, in the hands of the eight police ministers and Senator Amanda Vanstone. They have a poor record, except for that great day on 10 May 1996 when the police ministers for once acted in the public interest.

Tragically, they failed to address training at this time. Perhaps the year 2000 will be the year when the few remaining failings of the Port Arthur Gun Laws are addressed.