From: SSAA, [EMAIL PROTECTED] SSANZ media release, 8 October, 2000 (1 page). Hawkins ônewö gun law masks failure of identical existing law. George Hawkins today announced that he will seek new laws to punish criminals who use a gun while committing a crime. What Hawkins new smokescreen laws hide is that the 1983 Arms Act has had just such a provision, - for the last 18 years. The problem is no-ones using it. SSANZ reminds Mr Hawkins that for the last 9 months, the buck has stopped with the him. The existing gun laws state that any person whose crime is serious enough to be punished by a 5 year prison sentence, (whether or not they are actually charged with such a crime), is further liable to another prison sentence of 3 more years for having a gun at that scene. SSANZ has for 10 years called for this charge to be mandatory - in all crimes where a genuine ôthreat to lifeö with a gun can be proven beyond reasonable doubt. A call for genuinely ôtoughö gun laws that both Mr Hawkins and Mr Robson have rejected. But any law that has been steadfastly ignored by Crown Prosecutors for 18 years is hardly likely to be now applied simply because Hawkins has given it a new name. Nor has Hawkins made any-one accountable for that prior failure. And it gets worse. By ignoring recreational firearms users repeated calls for genuinely tough laws that make such sentences mandatory, the Minister has thus continued to allow judges to issue concurrent sentences when guns are used at serious crime scenes. In effect, gun crimes cost nothing. Little wonder felons have no qualms about stealing and using guns. One can only conclude the new Police Minister is soft on crime, soft on enforcement and soft on accountability û but big on hype. To New ZealandÆs 480,000 law abiding shooters, this MinisterÆs ônewö gun laws are rather like a certain fabled EmperorÆs new clothes. Further comment; Contact John Dyer or Dr Lech Beltowski 09 832 1724 09 626 5429 025 988 275 021 626 542 How can the Police Minister know what a new gun law should be when the Law & Order Select Committee does not report back itÆs findings from the democratic consultation process until 28 February, 2001 ? Ends. Cybershooters website: http://www.cybershooters.org List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___________________________________________________________ T O P I C A The Email You Want. http://www.topica.com/t/16 Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Your Favorite Topics
