I have to say (because Tom McIlroy’s article is not a well written opinion piece — perhaps due to space limitations, still…) I am supportive of strict #GunLaws but even more so on the ability of the #Police to enforce them.

Taking a helicopter view, what is urgently required is $$$ to fund both a #NationalBuyBack and sufficiently staffed #FirearmsRegistries to enable better control and oversight of #GunOwnership. Anything else is fiddling on the margins and largely political in intent. BTW, in so far as a national registry is concerned, Tom is happy to leave it at ‘speedier progress’ is being made. It’s been progresing since #PortArthur mate. Do you think you could mention that? Apparently, according to Tom, ‘Smart public service minds’ have been totally incompetent and unable to find the right Consultancy to get it done. My take? It’s about #Power, #Control and $$$$ throughout the federation govts.

To be clear, Gun Laws in Australia are up to the job, especially if periodically reviewed to close loopholes and include new firearms technology (E.g. Slide-loaders, grey guns and printing) BUT they should be nationally consistent (Currently they are not, not by a long shot — pun intended)

McIlroy tosses a lot of numbers around but they mean nothing unless they can be shown to correlate with criminality and terrorism data (such data correlations ought to be done anyway). Similarly, he dismisses the QLD Police Minister (see article) without further comment. Tom obvioulsy thought it irrelevant to his argument. — which is what exactly? Not sure from this piece which concludes that nothing so far has been done to keep the community safe. Gee what an insight, thanks for that.

Here is the link to the article if you wish to read it, but really, there’s nothing much in there to take in. It’s a rehash of what’s already been written many times already. Oh, and a whole lot of frightening gun numbers if you not anxious enough.

This toot is an Opinion piece of my one.

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/may/01/gun-licence-applications-bondi-shooting-buyback-albanese-australia-safer-ntwnfb

#AusPol #Bondi

Editorial from June 1996
#ausnews #vicnews #portarthur #murder #guns #violence #murder #bryant #tasmania

Please Note: I was 17yo when I wrote this editorial in 1996. (My 18th was 3 weeks away).

https://www.victoriannews.com.au/opinion/editorial-opinion/editorial-from-june-1996/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=jetpack_social

Fire out and shelter-in-place order is lifted after #OilRefinery explosion near #Texas coast

By HALLIE GOLDEN
Updated 7:29 AM EDT, March 24, 2026

"An oil refinery fire near the Texas coast was put out Tuesday and a shelter-in-place order was lifted, hours after a large explosion at the complex shot plumes of smoke into the air, officials said.

"No one was injured in Monday’s explosion at the #Valero refinery in #PortArthur, about 90 miles (145 kilometers) east of Houston, Mayor Charlotte M. Moses said. She had urged residents in parts of the west side of the city to stay put.

" 'There’s been an explosion, yes, but we’re OK; everybody’s OK,' she said. 'They’re trying to put the fire out as quickly as possible.'

"Residents at least several miles away said they felt their homes shake. Some schools in the area were closed Tuesday as a precaution.

"The explosion comes amid a spike in gas prices driven by uncertainty over the global oil supply because of the Iran war.

"The refinery has about 770 employees and can process about 435,000 barrels of oil per day, according to Valero’s website. The plant refines heavy sour crude oil into gasoline, diesel and jet fuel."

Read more:
https://apnews.com/article/refinery-explosion-texas-coast-60ecf6d9a70a2f1d5494fb8e38a84c4a

#BigOilAndGas #BlackRain #ToxicPlumes #RenewablesNow #USPol #TrumpSucks #Oiligrchy

Agenzia Nova: Usa: esplosione in una raffineria petrolifera in Texas

24 mar 05:04 - (Agenzia Nova) - Un incendio e' divampato in una raffineria di petrolio a Port Arthur, nello Stato Usa del Texas, dopo una violenta... (Was)

Use: explosion in an oil refinery in Texas

24 mar 05:04 - (Agenzia Nova) - A fire has broken out at an oil refinery in Port Arthur, Texas, USA, after a violent... (Was)

#Texas #AgenziaNova #PortArthur

https://www.agenzianova.com/a/69c20d87bf42d8.96619112/7187213/2026-03-24/usa-esplosione-in-una-raffineria-petrolifera-in-texas

Echoes of the past written in brick and stone.

Port Arthur, Tasmania, Australia.

© 𝓐𝓵𝓵 𝓡𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽𝓼 𝓡𝓮𝓼𝓮𝓻𝓿𝓮𝓭 𝓫𝔂 𝓚𝓮𝓿 𝓟𝓮𝓲𝓻𝓬𝓮.

#Photo #Photography #Australia #Tasmania #Ruins #PortArthur #AustralianHistory #ConvictHeritage #HeritageSite

Echoes of the past written in brick and stone.

Port Arthur, Tasmania, Australia.

© 𝓐𝓵𝓵 𝓡𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽𝓼 𝓡𝓮𝓼𝓮𝓻𝓿𝓮𝓭 𝓫𝔂 𝟐 𝓟𝓮𝓮𝓹𝓼 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓪 𝓒𝓪𝓶𝓮𝓻𝓪.

(𝒟ℴ𝓊𝒷𝓁ℯ 𝓉𝒽ℯ 𝒫ℯℯ𝓅𝓈, 𝒹ℴ𝓊𝒷𝓁ℯ 𝓉𝒽ℯ 𝓅ℯ𝓇𝓈𝓅ℯ𝒸𝓉𝒾𝓋ℯ!)

#Photo #Photography #2PeepsAndACamera #Australia #Tasmania #Ruins #PortArthur #AustralianHistory #ConvictHeritage #HeritageSite