To: firearmsamnesty@police.qld.gov.au
Dear Firearms Amnesty Team,
Over the next three months, firearms license holders are being asked to work with the Queensland Police in good faith. You’re telling them that they can locate unregistered firearms and these will be registered to their license where the license is endorsed for that category of firearm.
Queensland Police Service Weapons Licensing Branch has a special way of assuring people that their proposed arrangements are perfectly acceptable. And then at a later license renewal an unpleasant surprise springs: you can no longer own particular firearms that are registered to you. Weapons Licensing have decided you do not have a genuine reason or perhaps you have more firearms registered than Weapons Licensing would like.
A farmer may have one category C shotgun for use on her farm. If she registers another category C shotgun under the amnesty, will she be told at her next license renewal that she now has too many category C shotguns, her license will only be endorsed for one shotgun and she must dispose of the other?
A pest controller licensed to use Category H pistols might be a fool to try and register any more pistols to his license under the amnesty. Members of Weapons Licensing are on a notorious magical quest to refuse all renewals possible.
What assurances will you give that firearms will not be grabbed off hardworking farmers and rural workers through calculated administrative action at their next license renewal?
Firearms licensees are weighing up whether the amnesty is a stunt that will be undermined by later Weapons Licensing action. They’re keen to hear from you on this point.
Yours faithfully,
[Signed]
For LAFO Inc