❓ Question on Notice regarding WA's new gun laws and their effectiveness in removing firearms from serious offenders, with accusations of hypocrisy directed at the opposition.
AnsweredQoN 133Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Firearms reform
133. Mr Dave Kelly to the Minister for Police:
I refer to the Cook
Labor government's unwavering commitment to protecting the community.
(1) Can the minister outline to the house how WA's
new gun laws are removing guns from Western Australian streets, particularly
from serious offenders?
(2) Can the minister advise the house whether he
is aware of anyone who has refused to back these important community safety
laws?
133. Mr Dave Kelly to the Minister for Police:
I refer to the Cook
Labor government's unwavering commitment to protecting the community.
(1) Can the minister outline to the house how WA's
new gun laws are removing guns from Western Australian streets, particularly
from serious offenders?
(2) Can the minister advise the house whether he
is aware of anyone who has refused to back these important community safety
laws?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member
for Bassendean for that question and his support of community safety in this
chamber and his electorate.
(1)–(2) I am pleased to inform the house
that since the Firearms Regulations 2024 came into effect on 31 March 2025—they
are the regulations that members opposite tried to gut last night—WA police
have launched an operation called Operation Larkman. That happened because the
law is the law and the regulations are operating. They are the regulations and
the law that members opposite tried to undermine. The mission of Operation
Larkman is to remove firearms from some of Western Australia's most serious
offenders in order to keep Western Australia safer. The results from the Western
Australia Police Force are impressive and speak for themselves. I will go
through a series of lists as of 16 May 2025: people with known criminal
associations such as outlaw motorcycle gang members, 20 cases completed and 46 firearms removed; people with current violence restraining
orders (VROs) or family and domestic violence restraining orders, 90 cases
completed and 506 firearms removed; serious offenders, 243 cases completed and
783 firearms removed; and fitness to hold, 224 cases completed and 741 firearms
removed. I have not done the maths for members, but they can see that well over
1,000—almost 2,000—firearms have been removed from serious
offenders. They are people who should not have guns. That occurred because our
law is operating to keep Western Australia safe. Those regulations, which the
opposition attempted to gut last night, are still in place and surviving and allow
the police to do this. I listened to some commentary from Assistant
Commissioner of Police Pete Healy, who was interviewed on radio yesterday. Assistant
Commissioner Healy has been a police officer for over 34 years and has worked all
across Western Australia. When asked about these laws and regulations, this is
what he said yesterday:
… we support any legislation, any laws, that
increase community safety, that increase police officer safety. These laws are
designed exactly for that … should the disallowance be succesful, there
would be significant impacts for the firearms community and the ability for
police to police this firearms legislation in this state, which is a concern.
The member for Bassendean asked
whether anyone in this place refuses to back these important community safety
laws. We know there is more than one person who refuses to back them, but
yesterday one in particular, the Leader of the Liberal Party—the Leader
of the Opposition—went out to the media and said, and I quote, "Of
course we support tighter gun control. Of course we support community safety."
Then he came to this chamber—
Mr Basil Zempilas: That is right, minister.
That's absolutely spot-on, minister.
The Speaker: Leader of the Opposition!
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members! Minister! Leader of the
Opposition! Leader of the Opposition, you do not get to ask questions across
the chamber to the minister on his feet while he is responding to a question. I
will give you another warning.
Mr Reece Whitby: That same person then came into this
chamber last night and, over three hours, said not a word—silence.
There was also silence from the member for Vasse, silence from the member for Cottesloe,
silence from the member for Nedlands, silence from the member for Murray–Wellington,
and even silence from the member for Carine, who is known to want to say a few
things in this place—silence.
Yesterday, the
Leader of the Opposition said more on 6PR about guns than he said in
Parliament. The Leader of the Opposition has to realise that he does not get an
each-way bet in here. It is not a protest vote. It is not good enough to say
one thing outside and then come into this place and do exactly the opposite. It
is not good enough to be "both ways Baz". It is not good enough to be
"a bob each way Baz". You need to take a position and you need to be
consistent.
for Bassendean for that question and his support of community safety in this
chamber and his electorate.
(1)–(2) I am pleased to inform the house
that since the Firearms Regulations 2024 came into effect on 31 March 2025—they
are the regulations that members opposite tried to gut last night—WA police
have launched an operation called Operation Larkman. That happened because the
law is the law and the regulations are operating. They are the regulations and
the law that members opposite tried to undermine. The mission of Operation
Larkman is to remove firearms from some of Western Australia's most serious
offenders in order to keep Western Australia safer. The results from the Western
Australia Police Force are impressive and speak for themselves. I will go
through a series of lists as of 16 May 2025: people with known criminal
associations such as outlaw motorcycle gang members, 20 cases completed and 46 firearms removed; people with current violence restraining
orders (VROs) or family and domestic violence restraining orders, 90 cases
completed and 506 firearms removed; serious offenders, 243 cases completed and
783 firearms removed; and fitness to hold, 224 cases completed and 741 firearms
removed. I have not done the maths for members, but they can see that well over
1,000—almost 2,000—firearms have been removed from serious
offenders. They are people who should not have guns. That occurred because our
law is operating to keep Western Australia safe. Those regulations, which the
opposition attempted to gut last night, are still in place and surviving and allow
the police to do this. I listened to some commentary from Assistant
Commissioner of Police Pete Healy, who was interviewed on radio yesterday. Assistant
Commissioner Healy has been a police officer for over 34 years and has worked all
across Western Australia. When asked about these laws and regulations, this is
what he said yesterday:
… we support any legislation, any laws, that
increase community safety, that increase police officer safety. These laws are
designed exactly for that … should the disallowance be succesful, there
would be significant impacts for the firearms community and the ability for
police to police this firearms legislation in this state, which is a concern.
The member for Bassendean asked
whether anyone in this place refuses to back these important community safety
laws. We know there is more than one person who refuses to back them, but
yesterday one in particular, the Leader of the Liberal Party—the Leader
of the Opposition—went out to the media and said, and I quote, "Of
course we support tighter gun control. Of course we support community safety."
Then he came to this chamber—
Mr Basil Zempilas: That is right, minister.
That's absolutely spot-on, minister.
The Speaker: Leader of the Opposition!
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members! Minister! Leader of the
Opposition! Leader of the Opposition, you do not get to ask questions across
the chamber to the minister on his feet while he is responding to a question. I
will give you another warning.
Mr Reece Whitby: That same person then came into this
chamber last night and, over three hours, said not a word—silence.
There was also silence from the member for Vasse, silence from the member for Cottesloe,
silence from the member for Nedlands, silence from the member for Murray–Wellington,
and even silence from the member for Carine, who is known to want to say a few
things in this place—silence.
Yesterday, the
Leader of the Opposition said more on 6PR about guns than he said in
Parliament. The Leader of the Opposition has to realise that he does not get an
each-way bet in here. It is not a protest vote. It is not good enough to say
one thing outside and then come into this place and do exactly the opposite. It
is not good enough to be "both ways Baz". It is not good enough to be
"a bob each way Baz". You need to take a position and you need to be
consistent.
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