❓ Question addresses the effectiveness of the Cook Labor government's firearms reforms in enhancing community safety and inquires about attempts to undermine these laws. The Minister defends the reforms and criticizes the opposition's stance.
AnsweredQoN 110Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Firearms reform
110. Mr Yaz Mubarakai to the Minister for Police:
I refer to the Cook
Labor government's nation—sorry.
Several members
interjected.
Mr Yaz Mubarakai: Calm down and have a listen. The
minister just over there, of course. I will realign my focus.
I refer to the Cook
Labor government's nation-leading firearms laws.
(1) Can the minister advise the house how these
reforms deliver on this government's commitment to keeping the community safe?
(2) Can the minister advise the house whether he
is aware of any attempts to wind back these important community safety laws?
110. Mr Yaz Mubarakai to the Minister for Police:
I refer to the Cook
Labor government's nation—sorry.
Several members
interjected.
Mr Yaz Mubarakai: Calm down and have a listen. The
minister just over there, of course. I will realign my focus.
I refer to the Cook
Labor government's nation-leading firearms laws.
(1) Can the minister advise the house how these
reforms deliver on this government's commitment to keeping the community safe?
(2) Can the minister advise the house whether he
is aware of any attempts to wind back these important community safety laws?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) Thank you, member. It is a great
question. I appreciate the question today. It is indeed the case that the
government takes its responsibility to ensure the safety of all Western
Australians very seriously. It is why we have acted on knife crime. It is why
we are acting against outlawed motorcycle gangs. It is why we have a record
number, and growing, of police currently on the beat, with the Police Academy
turning out more and more officers every month.
We passed nation-leading firearms reforms in June last
year, member. Parliament passed those reforms, with a new act that came into
effect on 31 March. It imposes limits on the number of firearms an individual
can own and introduced mandatory disqualifying offences and orders that take
the guns out of the hands of serious offenders, including family and domestic
violence perpetrators and members of outlawed motorcycle gangs. I think we know
why that is important. Unfortunately, we have had circumstances in this state
that have hit very close to home in this regard. Indeed, every major shooting
in Western Australia in recent years has involved a legal, licensed firearm.
That includes the devastating murder of six people shot to death on a farm near
Margaret River in 2018. It was the worst mass murder in Australia since Port
Arthur. It happened in Western Australia and involved licensed firearms. Of course
we do not need to be reminded, because the anniversary is approaching later
this week, about the appalling double murder and the tragic, tragic
circumstances that happened in Floreat. Those crimes shook the state to its
core, and it is why it was made very clear to this government and to the
community, who were calling out for change, that our state's very old Firearms
Act needed to be updated. We needed a new act, in fact. The old law was in
excess of half a century old.
The member asked whether I am aware of any attempts to
wind back those laws. At 4:00 pm today, the Leader of the Nationals WA will
move a motion to disallow the regulations that make the reforms work. Without
the regulations, members, the act is inoperable. I heard the Leader of the
Liberal Party interviewed on 6PR this morning. He said that he supported this
legislation. He said he supported the Firearms Act. He even went on to say
that, "Like everybody else, we want tighter gun control." But then
when he was asked about the regulations, he said, and I quote, that this
disallowance motion is actually the opposition parties, led by the Nationals,
way of saying that in this political environment these regulations are not
right.
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members!
Mr Basil Zempilas interjected.
The Speaker: Leader of the Opposition!
Mr Mark Folkard interjected.
The Speaker: Members! Member for—it is not
Burns Beach—Mindarie, thank you.
Mr Reece Whitby: I would like to continue, Speaker.
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members!
Mr Paul Papalia interjected.
The Speaker: Minister for Corrective Services!
Mr Basil Zempilas interjected.
The Speaker: Leader of the Opposition, do not get into
side conversations with the government when the minister is trying to respond
to the question. Carry on, minister.
Mr Reece Whitby: The member cannot have a bet each
way. He infers he can sit on the fence and make a protest vote but still
support the laws. It does not work that way. It is pretty concerning that the
Leader of the Liberal Party is being so cavalier. I know he is a new member to
this place but he has to understand that moving a disallowance motion is not a
political stunt; it is a legal instrument at his disposal as a parliamentarian.
His actions in this place actually mean something. It is not a pantomime. The
Leader of the Opposition cannot say he supports a law but then not have a
problem with gutting and undermining that law by disallowing the regulations
that make it work.
Mr Basil Zempilas interjected.
The Speaker: Leader of the Opposition! Leader of the
Opposition, cease the interjections. The minister needs to finish his response.
Carry on, minister.
Mr Reece Whitby: If the member has issues with or wants
to provide feedback about our reforms as the Leader of the Liberal Party, put it
in a grievance and write to me. The member has not even requested a briefing on
the gun laws. When the Leader of the Liberal Party walks into this place later
today, I hope he thinks long and hard about whether he will be true to his word
and actually supports tighter gun laws. This is a matter for the Leader of the
Liberal Party to stand up for his constituency, who are very aware of the gun
laws and what they mean and the safety they bring to the state. It is a big
test of the Leader of the Liberal Party. It is absolutely right. We look
forward to him being true to his word. If he supports these laws, he will vote accordingly.
question. I appreciate the question today. It is indeed the case that the
government takes its responsibility to ensure the safety of all Western
Australians very seriously. It is why we have acted on knife crime. It is why
we are acting against outlawed motorcycle gangs. It is why we have a record
number, and growing, of police currently on the beat, with the Police Academy
turning out more and more officers every month.
We passed nation-leading firearms reforms in June last
year, member. Parliament passed those reforms, with a new act that came into
effect on 31 March. It imposes limits on the number of firearms an individual
can own and introduced mandatory disqualifying offences and orders that take
the guns out of the hands of serious offenders, including family and domestic
violence perpetrators and members of outlawed motorcycle gangs. I think we know
why that is important. Unfortunately, we have had circumstances in this state
that have hit very close to home in this regard. Indeed, every major shooting
in Western Australia in recent years has involved a legal, licensed firearm.
That includes the devastating murder of six people shot to death on a farm near
Margaret River in 2018. It was the worst mass murder in Australia since Port
Arthur. It happened in Western Australia and involved licensed firearms. Of course
we do not need to be reminded, because the anniversary is approaching later
this week, about the appalling double murder and the tragic, tragic
circumstances that happened in Floreat. Those crimes shook the state to its
core, and it is why it was made very clear to this government and to the
community, who were calling out for change, that our state's very old Firearms
Act needed to be updated. We needed a new act, in fact. The old law was in
excess of half a century old.
The member asked whether I am aware of any attempts to
wind back those laws. At 4:00 pm today, the Leader of the Nationals WA will
move a motion to disallow the regulations that make the reforms work. Without
the regulations, members, the act is inoperable. I heard the Leader of the
Liberal Party interviewed on 6PR this morning. He said that he supported this
legislation. He said he supported the Firearms Act. He even went on to say
that, "Like everybody else, we want tighter gun control." But then
when he was asked about the regulations, he said, and I quote, that this
disallowance motion is actually the opposition parties, led by the Nationals,
way of saying that in this political environment these regulations are not
right.
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members!
Mr Basil Zempilas interjected.
The Speaker: Leader of the Opposition!
Mr Mark Folkard interjected.
The Speaker: Members! Member for—it is not
Burns Beach—Mindarie, thank you.
Mr Reece Whitby: I would like to continue, Speaker.
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members!
Mr Paul Papalia interjected.
The Speaker: Minister for Corrective Services!
Mr Basil Zempilas interjected.
The Speaker: Leader of the Opposition, do not get into
side conversations with the government when the minister is trying to respond
to the question. Carry on, minister.
Mr Reece Whitby: The member cannot have a bet each
way. He infers he can sit on the fence and make a protest vote but still
support the laws. It does not work that way. It is pretty concerning that the
Leader of the Liberal Party is being so cavalier. I know he is a new member to
this place but he has to understand that moving a disallowance motion is not a
political stunt; it is a legal instrument at his disposal as a parliamentarian.
His actions in this place actually mean something. It is not a pantomime. The
Leader of the Opposition cannot say he supports a law but then not have a
problem with gutting and undermining that law by disallowing the regulations
that make it work.
Mr Basil Zempilas interjected.
The Speaker: Leader of the Opposition! Leader of the
Opposition, cease the interjections. The minister needs to finish his response.
Carry on, minister.
Mr Reece Whitby: If the member has issues with or wants
to provide feedback about our reforms as the Leader of the Liberal Party, put it
in a grievance and write to me. The member has not even requested a briefing on
the gun laws. When the Leader of the Liberal Party walks into this place later
today, I hope he thinks long and hard about whether he will be true to his word
and actually supports tighter gun laws. This is a matter for the Leader of the
Liberal Party to stand up for his constituency, who are very aware of the gun
laws and what they mean and the safety they bring to the state. It is a big
test of the Leader of the Liberal Party. It is absolutely right. We look
forward to him being true to his word. If he supports these laws, he will vote accordingly.
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