❓ Mrs. Roberts questions the Minister for Police regarding actions taken to address abuses of property permission letters for firearms and failings in the firearms management system identified in a 2013 Auditor General's report. The Minister outlines ongoing reviews, IT system upgrades, and consultation processes.
AnsweredQoN 501Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
FIREARMS
MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
501. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS to the
Minister for Police:
I refer to the Auditor General's report of June 2013,
''Firearms Management System—Western Australia Police''
and the finding that —
� one property owner had provided
property letters —
That is, for permission to shoot on the property —
to over 270 applicants over the
past 17 months. We noted that these firearms had all been purchased from the
same firearms dealers. Similarly we found another case where over 80 property
letters had been provided by the same property owner for firearms purchased
from a single dealer.
(1) What action has the minister taken to stop the abuse of
property permission letters?
(2) What
action has the minister taken to address the failings in the firearms
management system highlighted in the Auditor General's 2013 report?
MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
501. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS to the
Minister for Police:
I refer to the Auditor General's report of June 2013,
''Firearms Management System—Western Australia Police''
and the finding that —
� one property owner had provided
property letters —
That is, for permission to shoot on the property —
to over 270 applicants over the
past 17 months. We noted that these firearms had all been purchased from the
same firearms dealers. Similarly we found another case where over 80 property
letters had been provided by the same property owner for firearms purchased
from a single dealer.
(1) What action has the minister taken to stop the abuse of
property permission letters?
(2) What
action has the minister taken to address the failings in the firearms
management system highlighted in the Auditor General's 2013 report?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the
member for Midland for the question.
(1)–(2) With
respect to the Auditor General's report, a number of actions have been
taken by the government. We have talked at great length in this place about a
review into the Firearms Act 1973 and looking at that legislative instrument.
Indeed, one of the aspects of the review for which we have requested community
consultation and input is the relevance in 2015 of the requirement for a
shooter to have a letter from a pastoral property owner to basically give them
authority or a useful purpose for them to own a firearm. That review is still
in train. Once we get the Firearms Act review findings, we will obviously be
guided by them. We will look at a new legislative instrument to be brought to
this place to be debated. With respect to the particular property owner that the
member for Midland was referring to, my understanding is that the firearms
branch has been dealing with him, but I would need to seek the advice of the
commissioner on where that is up to. Obviously I am not involved in the
operational management of the Firearms Act, but I have discussions regularly
with the commissioner when circumstances are brought to my attention.
The other aspect of the Auditor
General's report that we have been addressing were some failings in the
information technology system—the computer management system—that
we use to manage the firearms registrations and licensing system. We are
currently in the process of tendering, as I understand it, for a new IT system
for the management of the firearms registration process. It is not a simple
process. The system needs to interact with the transport executive and
licensing information system and the other systems that police have. That
process is still under review and I am yet to be advised by police where the
tender process is up to, but once again it is a work in progress. Of course,
one thing that needs to be considered as part of the new IT system is making
sure that that system will have the ability to be amended with respect to the
new firearms act. Obviously, the new act will have an accompanying new set of
regulations and potentially some different offences, so we need to ensure that,
under new system firearms registration and licensing will be contemporary into
the future and fit in with some of the prospective amendments that may occur
out of the firearms legislation review.
member for Midland for the question.
(1)–(2) With
respect to the Auditor General's report, a number of actions have been
taken by the government. We have talked at great length in this place about a
review into the Firearms Act 1973 and looking at that legislative instrument.
Indeed, one of the aspects of the review for which we have requested community
consultation and input is the relevance in 2015 of the requirement for a
shooter to have a letter from a pastoral property owner to basically give them
authority or a useful purpose for them to own a firearm. That review is still
in train. Once we get the Firearms Act review findings, we will obviously be
guided by them. We will look at a new legislative instrument to be brought to
this place to be debated. With respect to the particular property owner that the
member for Midland was referring to, my understanding is that the firearms
branch has been dealing with him, but I would need to seek the advice of the
commissioner on where that is up to. Obviously I am not involved in the
operational management of the Firearms Act, but I have discussions regularly
with the commissioner when circumstances are brought to my attention.
The other aspect of the Auditor
General's report that we have been addressing were some failings in the
information technology system—the computer management system—that
we use to manage the firearms registrations and licensing system. We are
currently in the process of tendering, as I understand it, for a new IT system
for the management of the firearms registration process. It is not a simple
process. The system needs to interact with the transport executive and
licensing information system and the other systems that police have. That
process is still under review and I am yet to be advised by police where the
tender process is up to, but once again it is a work in progress. Of course,
one thing that needs to be considered as part of the new IT system is making
sure that that system will have the ability to be amended with respect to the
new firearms act. Obviously, the new act will have an accompanying new set of
regulations and potentially some different offences, so we need to ensure that,
under new system firearms registration and licensing will be contemporary into
the future and fit in with some of the prospective amendments that may occur
out of the firearms legislation review.
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