Vic government in trouble over Howard gun laws

There is some sweet revenge for gun enthusiasts for the draconian Howard gun laws, with the possibility of the Victorian government falling over one of its members falling foul of them.  The Victorian government is barely hanging on by the skin of its teeth and cannot afford to lose a member.

Now one of its members has been charged with possession of a prohibited firearm and the possession of guns without a licence. 

The Coalition's hold on power in Victoria could be under threat after a National party MP was charged with firearms offences. 

Mildura MP Peter Crisp is due to face court in May over a number of charges including the possession of a prohibited firearm and the possession of guns without a licence. 

He was charged after reporting the theft of three guns from his farm in New South Wales.If convicted, Mr Crisp would be ineligible to sit in Parliament, which would force a by-election and could threaten the Coalition's ability to govern. … 

Mr Crisp says he has always held the appropriate NSW and Victorian licences and had taken all reasonable precautions to ensure the safe storage of his guns.

In fairness to MR. Crisp, he has not shot anyone, threatened anyone, robbed anyone other than taxpayers in his role as an MP, nor has he engaged in any other inappropriate activities with his guns.  The ‘crime’ if it can be called that, is simply owning them.

This highlights the stupidity of making a criminal offense of ownership of an object without a requirement of proving any intent to commit a crime.

The Howard gun laws were implemented as a knee-jerk reaction to the Port Arthur massacre in which a schizophrenic gunman killed 35 people and wounded another 23.  Despite the fact that out of the hundreds of people there, none other than the crazy guy was armed, the government took the view that fewer law abiding gun owners was a viable solution to criminals and the insane owning firearms.

Curiously, Howard is seen as one of our better PMs, which is probably an indication of the paucity of political talent in Australia.

There is little to cheer about however, as at this point it is unlikely that the only party with a rational view on gun ownership, the Liberal Democrats, will be able to take power there.