❓ Community safety 530. Mr David Scaife to the Minister for Police: Before I ask my question, I would like to acknowledge that I have seen the news that Hon Peter Tinley AM has been elected as the RSL N
AnsweredQoN 530Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Community safety
530. Mr David Scaife to
the Minister for Police:
Before I ask my
question, I would like to acknowledge that I have seen the news that Hon Peter
Tinley AM has been elected as the RSL National President. On behalf of the
whole chamber, I hopefully pass on cross-partisan congratulations on his
election.
I refer to the Cook
Labor government's commitment to keeping the Western Australian community safe.
(1) Can the minister update the house on actions
this government is taking to enhance community safety?
(2) Can the minister advise the house of any
recent updates to our community safety laws?
530. Mr David Scaife to
the Minister for Police:
Before I ask my
question, I would like to acknowledge that I have seen the news that Hon Peter
Tinley AM has been elected as the RSL National President. On behalf of the
whole chamber, I hopefully pass on cross-partisan congratulations on his
election.
I refer to the Cook
Labor government's commitment to keeping the Western Australian community safe.
(1) Can the minister update the house on actions
this government is taking to enhance community safety?
(2) Can the minister advise the house of any
recent updates to our community safety laws?
AnswerView source ↗
Thank you, member
for Cockburn. I can do that.
(1)–(2) Obviously alongside our new, safer
gun laws, we have introduced a buyback scheme. It is now in its latest
incarnation. That has resulted in 68,000 firearms being taken out of the
community. That is separate from the 3,000 Larkman firearms that are taken from
criminals, family and domestic violence offenders and members of outlaw gangs.
The latest updates show that
there are 77,000 licensed firearm holders in Western Australia and 24,000 have
actually transitioned through the process and are now licensed under the
current legislation. That is good progress. That shows that the system is
working. People are engaged, they are committed to the process and they want to
be law abiding. It is working. An additional 29,000 firearm owners have entered
the app and are going through the process. More than 50,000 Western Australian
gun owners have actually begun the process to come out the other side and
become licensed under these new safer laws. This shows that
the system is working. This shows that people are invested and that law-abiding
gun owners want to do the right thing.
We need to keep this going. One
of the things that the parliamentary committee found was that there were
unfounded concerns in the community that were not relevant and did not have a
basis in fact—misinformation. We know where a lot of that
misinformation has come from. It has come from members opposite, unfortunately,
who have politicised and hyped up issues—
Mr Shane Love: That's absolute rubbish. What a
load of rubbish.
Mr Reece Whitby: The committee found this.
We also know, members, that just today a member of the
Liberal Party was standing alongside a member of One Nation criticising
this report. It is time we listened to the appeals to unite on this and get
behind these laws. I hope to see a change. I would hope that we are not going
to see Liberal members of Parliament standing next to One Nation MPs and
criticising good legislation. Unfortunately, we know that Hon Nick Goiran, who
holds considerable sway in the opposition and the Liberal Party and has fundamentalist
views, controls what many opposite say and do.
Several members
interjected.
Mr Reece Whitby: Members, twice this year in this very
chamber, every single member opposite voted to disallow the regulations that
support this legislation. That is legislation and regulations that were found
today by a parliamentary committee to be reasonable and justified. Every single
one of those members opposite tried to rip the guts out of these safer gun
laws. They need to answer to the community, particularly the Leader of the
Opposition, because as we know, some members got up to debate those two
disallowance motions but who was the person who stayed stone motherless silent?
Who was silent during all the opportunities to debate? It was the Leader of the
Opposition. The guy who you normally cannot shut up did not say a word. This is
an opportunity for the Leader of the Opposition to speak up and support safer
gun laws. The fact is that the Leader of the Opposition cannot have it both
ways when it comes to community safety. He has had it both ways a lot, but he
cannot have it both ways on this issue.
Mr Liam Staltari interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Carine, do not go there.
Point of order
Mr Lachlan Hunter: I have a point of order.
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members! Points of order will be heard in
silence, thank you.
Mr Lachlan Hunter: This is the third time during
question time that the Deputy Premier has called members of the opposition
idiots. I ask her to withdraw.
The Speaker: I cannot uphold that point of order
because I have not heard her do that.
for Cockburn. I can do that.
(1)–(2) Obviously alongside our new, safer
gun laws, we have introduced a buyback scheme. It is now in its latest
incarnation. That has resulted in 68,000 firearms being taken out of the
community. That is separate from the 3,000 Larkman firearms that are taken from
criminals, family and domestic violence offenders and members of outlaw gangs.
The latest updates show that
there are 77,000 licensed firearm holders in Western Australia and 24,000 have
actually transitioned through the process and are now licensed under the
current legislation. That is good progress. That shows that the system is
working. People are engaged, they are committed to the process and they want to
be law abiding. It is working. An additional 29,000 firearm owners have entered
the app and are going through the process. More than 50,000 Western Australian
gun owners have actually begun the process to come out the other side and
become licensed under these new safer laws. This shows that
the system is working. This shows that people are invested and that law-abiding
gun owners want to do the right thing.
We need to keep this going. One
of the things that the parliamentary committee found was that there were
unfounded concerns in the community that were not relevant and did not have a
basis in fact—misinformation. We know where a lot of that
misinformation has come from. It has come from members opposite, unfortunately,
who have politicised and hyped up issues—
Mr Shane Love: That's absolute rubbish. What a
load of rubbish.
Mr Reece Whitby: The committee found this.
We also know, members, that just today a member of the
Liberal Party was standing alongside a member of One Nation criticising
this report. It is time we listened to the appeals to unite on this and get
behind these laws. I hope to see a change. I would hope that we are not going
to see Liberal members of Parliament standing next to One Nation MPs and
criticising good legislation. Unfortunately, we know that Hon Nick Goiran, who
holds considerable sway in the opposition and the Liberal Party and has fundamentalist
views, controls what many opposite say and do.
Several members
interjected.
Mr Reece Whitby: Members, twice this year in this very
chamber, every single member opposite voted to disallow the regulations that
support this legislation. That is legislation and regulations that were found
today by a parliamentary committee to be reasonable and justified. Every single
one of those members opposite tried to rip the guts out of these safer gun
laws. They need to answer to the community, particularly the Leader of the
Opposition, because as we know, some members got up to debate those two
disallowance motions but who was the person who stayed stone motherless silent?
Who was silent during all the opportunities to debate? It was the Leader of the
Opposition. The guy who you normally cannot shut up did not say a word. This is
an opportunity for the Leader of the Opposition to speak up and support safer
gun laws. The fact is that the Leader of the Opposition cannot have it both
ways when it comes to community safety. He has had it both ways a lot, but he
cannot have it both ways on this issue.
Mr Liam Staltari interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Carine, do not go there.
Point of order
Mr Lachlan Hunter: I have a point of order.
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members! Points of order will be heard in
silence, thank you.
Mr Lachlan Hunter: This is the third time during
question time that the Deputy Premier has called members of the opposition
idiots. I ask her to withdraw.
The Speaker: I cannot uphold that point of order
because I have not heard her do that.
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