PHOTO: Image: NSC
The National Shooting Council (NSC) says the NSW Gun Registry have begun a crackdown that is unfairly targeting people with mental illnesses.
Peter Zabrdac, Vice President with the NSC says that what he perceives as a recent crackdown on war veterans, prison officers and police officers might be paving a way for a wider restriction on all gun licence holders.
Mr Zabrdac told the Western Plains App the problem appears to have begun when last year Department of Veteran Affairs card holders were offered free gun licences.
As part of their paper work application they were asked whether they had a mental illness.
“If they said no and it was found out they had then it was automatic loss because you were not seen as a fit and proper person,” he said. “If they said yes, many of them were just automatically getting their licences either refused or actually had their guns taken away from them. The onus was then put on them to provide evidence that they were mentally sound..