This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

Australia’s peak shooting body has amassed a financial war chest totalling more than $34m, new research has revealed.

The figure has sparked calls to amend the national firearm laws set up by the former prime minister John Howard, which effectively guarantee gun clubs an income stream because club membership provides gun owners with a “genuine reason” to hold a firearm licence.

A new analysis from gun policy expert and Sydney university adjunct associate professor Philip Alpers gives a new insight into the financial might of Australia’s gun lobby. It has revealed that the national branch of the Sporting Shooters’ Association of Australia (SSAA) alone has accumulated $10m from annual membership fees.

States reportedly agree to place Adler shotgun in strictest category Read more

Alpers research, which is published today by the University of Sydney and on the Croakey website, shows that seven of the top SSAA branches across the country have declared, in total, more than $20m income and net assets of $34m.

Alpers writes: “That’s more than double the assets of Swimming Australia and nine-tenths the income of Athletics Australia.



“For 2015, SSAA (VIC) reported $4.4m in revenue and assets of $5m. Adjusted for inflation, branch assets have increased 559% in value since the 1996 gun laws.

“SSAA (NSW) reported income of $2.4m with assets of $7.2m (up 717%), while SSAA (QLD) collected income of $5m and holds assets of $15.7m, of which $8.3m are in cash. Adjusted for inflation, Queensland branch assets have increased by 2,675% since compulsory gun club membership was written into legislation.”

When Howard reformed Australia’s gun laws following the Port Arthur massacre the states and territories created similar laws in each jurisdiction that require a “genuine reason” for a person to hold a firearm licence, such as being a primary producer.

However, in most states and territories being a member of a gun club is sufficient justification to hold a firearm licence.

There are no restrictions on what gun clubs can charge for member fees, which has effectively provided an enormous source of guaranteed funding for gun clubs since 1990.

The figures are likely to be a conservative estimate of the total assets and intake of the various SSAA gun clubs around the country. The clubs are subject to varying levels of reporting in each state and territory due to their status as incorporated associations.

“Politicians who, for example, dismantled compulsory student union membership on ideological grounds might be asked how this system is not a government-mandated tax on shooters, with no upper limit,” Alpers said.

“They could also consider the future implications of several swelling war chests worth many millions of dollars, amassed to overturn gun laws agreed 20 years ago by all major parties.”

Matt Canavan declines to back Malcolm Turnbull over Adler shotgun ban Read more

The federal government’s national firearms review is currently underway, amid a number of concerns about Australia’s gun laws.

The federal government last year imposed an import ban on lever-action shotguns with a firing capacity of more than five rounds following the emergence of the Adler A110, drawing the ire of gun groups, as the states and territories grappled with whether to reclassify the weapon.

The states have reportedly now agreed to allow the controversial Adler shotgun to be reclassified to the toughest of the four firearms categories, which would open the way for limited importation to resume.

There is no limit on the way the SSAA and other gun clubs can use their membership fees.

The Greens MP David Shoebridge, who has been a prominent voice speaking out against winding back Australia’s gun control laws, said there should be “a maximum membership fee by regulation with a requirement that member’s money is spent on club facilities”.

“If the government is requiring membership of a gun club to obtain a firearms licence then it it is more than reasonable that there be regulation to protect gun club members and their membership dues,” he said.

“Unless we fix the flow of money to the gun lobby we are in danger of creating a local version of the NRA and that would be a disaster for community safety.”

There have already been concerns raised about the lobbying power of firearms groups. Guardian Australia published a series of meeting minutes that showed the gun lobby setting out their wish list to the justice minister, Michael Keenan.

A coalition of prominent Australians subsequently called for greater consultation with Keenan.

The Sporting Shooters’ Association of Australia was contacted for comment.