Committee cautioned against allowing free-for-all at gun ranges
Published:Friday | July 8, 2022 | 12:07 AM
The joint select committee reviewing the Firearms (Prohibition, Restriction and Regulations) Act, 2022 has been asked to consider making provisions for prospective firearm licence applicants to access approved gun ranges for introductory training.
The matter was raised by government Senator Charles Sinclair as the committee wrapped up a clause-by-clause review of the bill on Thursday.
“If an unlicensed person goes to ... [a Firearm Licensing Authority-approved] firing range for the purpose of being introduced to firearms, and in the process, handles a firearm and shoots at a target to establish competence or for some training in order to determine for themselves whether they want to make an application for a permit, is that person handling a firearm illegally, or do we have to make any provisions for them?” he asked.
Chief technical director in the Ministry of National Security, Rohan Richards, said individuals would have to get the approval of the Firearm Licensing Authority (FLA) to do so. Otherwise, he added, they would be in contravention of the act.
Sinclair was supported by opposition member Fitz Jackson, who said that the spouse of a licensed firearm holder, who is considering an application, may want to be exposed to the use of a firearm in a controlled environment, being a gun range, with a licensed trainer before doing so.
“Why would we want to prohibit that?” Jackson asked.
Richards said that the FLA operates in a similar context to the driver-learner relationship in which the learner ought to receive a permit.
The chief technical director explained that changing this provision would open the door for persons with nefarious intent to seek training and improve their target shooting.
“We ought to think a little bit more carefully about this. I would not personally – and from a technical perspective – want us to have that approach where we give this free-for-all for anybody to be able to start training persons to do target shooting without the requisite permit from the authority,” Richards reasoned.