These matters have since been dealt with by the court. 

It is a continual source of annoyance to members of the public when the anti-gun movement comes out with sweeping statement regarding gun laws with no factual backup.  Nowhere was this more evident than in the senate inquiry into gun-related matters when the anti people were asked to back up their claims with actual figures; none of them could.

Virginia’s claims that “the laws have been eroded severely in the 20 years since”.  The laws are part of an act of parliament, all of which have numbered parts and clauses, these are backed up by regulations.  Now that you have made this sweeping statement, name which parts of the act have been eroded. 

Further to this you refer to ‘many gun deaths and I guess the majority are suicide”.  I guess?

On page two, “the potential importation of a semi-automatic handgun against the recommendations of the Australian Crime Commission”.  Could you please inform us of the make, calibre and magazine capacity of this handgun? ie pistol. 

Further to this, “The Adler Lever is that the magazine is a five-bullet magazine and can get changed to an 11 bullet magazine”.   If the magazine was made to hold 11 shots it would be well past the front of the barrel. 

And, “it’s basically a semi-automatic” so if we are to believe this then a car with a manual gearbox is an automatic provided you push the clutch in and move the gear lever. 

Some facts, lever actions firearms have been in Australia since the middle of the 1800s in the form of rifles and shotguns. They are repeating firearms and are covered under either class A or B.  Under no circumstances do they “circumvent the legislation”. 

Also, the Adler is a shotgun and does not fire “bullets”. They are referred to as cartridges.  

It is sad that those with little or no knowledge of firearms endeavour to force their ideas onto law abiding people who are already heavily regulated. 

Back when Unsworth tried to make gun laws, the premier Nick Greiner made a memorable statement: “You cannot make laws to govern lunatics”.

James Pirie,

Mudgee  

How I wish we could find a mate for the beautiful white Crane, in the"Feed the Ducks" part of the Lawson Park by the river. Daisy [my Moodle pup] and I see him/her regularly during our walks. We do have a chat.

Is this a possible achievement? I feel 'it' may be a boy.

Sandra Capper, 

Mudgee

The Government’s last Budget contained massive cuts to aged care targeted at frail older people with complex health care needs such as dementia, diabetes, heart disease and arthritis.

Uniting Care Australia, Aged and Community Services Australia and Catholic Health Australia commissioned independent modelling of the impact of the cuts on 39,000 people across 501 aged care homes, or 21 per cent of the aged care sector.

The results are stark. The Government is removing more than $2.5 billion from aged care, more than $840 million over its stated savings, which will significantly reduce the support for frail older people.

The costs of services currently provided to consumers with complex care needs will no longer be covered, with the consequence that older people soon may not get essential health treatments such as physiotherapy, skin care or non-medication pain management.

Cuts of this magnitude will compel aged care service providers to review their services with the very real risk that they will no longer be able to accept clients being discharged from hospitals.

Our clear message to our political leaders is that they need to understand the impact of these cuts on the most vulnerable people in our society – our family members and loved ones.

They deserve much better than this, and our acute care system and hospitals are already under extreme pressure.

We are calling for the Government to halt the cuts and work with the sector to identify a more sustainable means of meeting the health care needs of older people.

Peter Bicknell,

Chair, National Committee,

Uniting Care Australia;

 Martin J Cowling,

Acting National Director,

Uniting Care Australia

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