- WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU, THE VOTER?
What happens if I am not a NSW resident?
If the ORP Candidate is elected, he will be in NSW Parliament and any ammendments will only apply to NSW. They will seek to change the Firearms Act or Prohibited Weapons Act so that Airsoft firearms are no longer illegal and deregulated.
So are there any benefits to States and Territories other than NSW?
Hypothetically speaking if they obtained a Seat in the Upper House, initially there would be no benefit. The benefit would come if other States and Territories saw this change, along with the Support of Airsoft in Australia and were then influenced to follow in the footsteps of NSW
Will this change affect Customs regulation?
No, that wont change Customs law as this comes under Federal jurisdiction, but it will allow them to argue that Customs should not be preventing the import of Airsoft firearms when they are legal in NSW.
What happens if the Outdoor Recreation don't get a seat?
Nothing will happen. It wouldn't be a step backward but it would mean that other Parties may not know what Airsoft was, or the regulation surrounding its importation.
Once the Election is over, what happens next?
Regardless of the outcome, nothing will happen overnight for Australian Airsoft. It's still a long road ahead but if they were elected and proposed the ammendments, they would would have to have members vote in favour of the proposed ammendments. This is process is called a "Private Members Bill" and it has to get through both Houses of Parliament to become law. From there, the real politics start and our first political voice is born!
If they dont get in, its not the end of our movement. This is the most support Airsoft Australia has had since the Airsoft movement started. It means that we will contine to work with them, in any capacity and continue the fight to bring Airsoft to Australia. Only perseverance and time will tell...