❓ Mr. Paolino asks the Premier for an update on national gun reform following the Bondi Beach massacre and the National Cabinet meeting. The Premier outlines the government's commitment to strengthening gun laws nationally, building on WA's existing stringent regulations.
AnsweredQoN 735Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
National Cabinet—Gun reform
735. Mr Frank Paolino to
the Premier:
Thank you, Mr
Speaker. Before I commence my question, I would like to thank you for allowing
me a brief preamble to the question.
I never in my
parliamentary or life journey thought that I would rise and speak to my
community and to Western Australians in the wake of such a horrific event that
occurred in Australia on Sunday evening. I want to pay my respects to the
victims, families, friends and communities involved in the horrendous massacre
that occurred at sunset at Bondi Beach. I also want to thank our very own
Western Australia Police Force, as well as those who were mentioned earlier in
the condolence motion, for their continued support to the community,
particularly Community Security Group, not just now but over the last two years.
On behalf of the
people of the Mount Lawley electorate, at this time I express my condolences to
the Western Australian Jewish community, and to Jews across our nation and
throughout the world. Sunday night and the days following, the commencement of
Hanukkah, should have been filled with light, joy and happiness for Jewish
families here and around the world. Instead, our hearts have been broken and
shattered. This has affected not only my community; it has affected me
personally. I want to reassure the Jewish community of Western Australia that I
am here for them and we are here for them. I cannot say any clearer that hate
in all its forms and manifestations is not part of our Australian values and
has no home here. I, and I am sure the rest of the state and the nation,
condemn it today and always. The Jewish community of Western Australia and Jews
everywhere are hurting. I hope that they know they are not alone.
At the commencement
of the 42nd Parliament, I rose in this chamber and in my inaugural speech stated
how proud I was—I still am—to represent the Jewish community of
Western Australia as the seventh member for Mount Lawley. I will always be
proud of that and my community. I will always be proud of the incredible
contribution that the Jewish community makes to the diversity of our great
state. These contributions enrich all of us and make Western Australia
stronger. In my community I want it to be known now more than ever that our
light will never diminish. It will shine brighter. Our spirit will never be
broken, nor will our zeal for peace be ripped from us. Our resilience defines
us, and our courage will always be our strength. Together we will overcome and
restitch the fabric that made us, for our peace and the peace of every Western
Australian.
To the Jewish
community of Western Australia on Hannukah, the Festival of Light, I simply say chag Chanukah sameach —happy
Hannukah to you all.
My question this
afternoon is to the Premier. I refer to the Cook government's commitment to
building safe and inclusive communities. Can the Premier please provide an
update on the outcomes of yesterday's National Cabinet meeting, and the
commitment to national gun reform?
735. Mr Frank Paolino to
the Premier:
Thank you, Mr
Speaker. Before I commence my question, I would like to thank you for allowing
me a brief preamble to the question.
I never in my
parliamentary or life journey thought that I would rise and speak to my
community and to Western Australians in the wake of such a horrific event that
occurred in Australia on Sunday evening. I want to pay my respects to the
victims, families, friends and communities involved in the horrendous massacre
that occurred at sunset at Bondi Beach. I also want to thank our very own
Western Australia Police Force, as well as those who were mentioned earlier in
the condolence motion, for their continued support to the community,
particularly Community Security Group, not just now but over the last two years.
On behalf of the
people of the Mount Lawley electorate, at this time I express my condolences to
the Western Australian Jewish community, and to Jews across our nation and
throughout the world. Sunday night and the days following, the commencement of
Hanukkah, should have been filled with light, joy and happiness for Jewish
families here and around the world. Instead, our hearts have been broken and
shattered. This has affected not only my community; it has affected me
personally. I want to reassure the Jewish community of Western Australia that I
am here for them and we are here for them. I cannot say any clearer that hate
in all its forms and manifestations is not part of our Australian values and
has no home here. I, and I am sure the rest of the state and the nation,
condemn it today and always. The Jewish community of Western Australia and Jews
everywhere are hurting. I hope that they know they are not alone.
At the commencement
of the 42nd Parliament, I rose in this chamber and in my inaugural speech stated
how proud I was—I still am—to represent the Jewish community of
Western Australia as the seventh member for Mount Lawley. I will always be
proud of that and my community. I will always be proud of the incredible
contribution that the Jewish community makes to the diversity of our great
state. These contributions enrich all of us and make Western Australia
stronger. In my community I want it to be known now more than ever that our
light will never diminish. It will shine brighter. Our spirit will never be
broken, nor will our zeal for peace be ripped from us. Our resilience defines
us, and our courage will always be our strength. Together we will overcome and
restitch the fabric that made us, for our peace and the peace of every Western
Australian.
To the Jewish
community of Western Australia on Hannukah, the Festival of Light, I simply say chag Chanukah sameach —happy
Hannukah to you all.
My question this
afternoon is to the Premier. I refer to the Cook government's commitment to
building safe and inclusive communities. Can the Premier please provide an
update on the outcomes of yesterday's National Cabinet meeting, and the
commitment to national gun reform?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member
for the question and once again acknowledge the loss and ongoing trauma in his
community, and thank him for the work he does to protect his own. I once again
place on the record the government's profound sadness in the wake of the Bondi
terror attack. While Australia grieves with the Jewish community, we must also
explore how we respond from a regulatory perspective. In doing so, we are
mindful that the massacre is subject to an ongoing investigation. Unanswered
questions remain and facts are still emerging from the tragedy.
With that said, we
do have clarity on several key matters. This was an act carried out by
individuals filled with hatred, and those individuals should never have been
let anywhere near a gun, let alone been in possession of multiple high-powered
firearms. Australia prided itself on its response to the Port Arthur massacre
in 1996. That was nearly 30 years ago. Since then, the gun industry has
exploited loopholes in the law, introducing non-semiautomatic versions of
banned firearms. Meanwhile, technologies like 3D printing have posed new risks
that simply were not fathomable 30 years ago.
We need better
national firearm laws. Yesterday, National Cabinet agreed to work on
contemporary laws. Western Australia's firearm laws are the toughest and most
sophisticated in the nation. In fact, as the WA police commissioner stated
yesterday:
"The law allows me to take guns
off exactly that type of person, which we have already done on multiple
occasions here in WA since the Firearms Act has come in place," …
For that reason, WA
and New South Wales will lead the national response on gun reform. Our recent
work will help form the blueprint for a wider national response to gun safety. Acts
of terror events are incredibly difficult to predict. We need to combat
extremism and we need to ensure that extremists do not have access to guns. National
gun reform will be opposed by some, just as some opposed our gun reforms here
in Western Australia, but we will not be deterred. All Western Australians
deserve to live in safe and inclusive communities. I will be proud to work at a
national level with the Prime Minister and other state and territory leaders to
create safe and inclusive communities.
for the question and once again acknowledge the loss and ongoing trauma in his
community, and thank him for the work he does to protect his own. I once again
place on the record the government's profound sadness in the wake of the Bondi
terror attack. While Australia grieves with the Jewish community, we must also
explore how we respond from a regulatory perspective. In doing so, we are
mindful that the massacre is subject to an ongoing investigation. Unanswered
questions remain and facts are still emerging from the tragedy.
With that said, we
do have clarity on several key matters. This was an act carried out by
individuals filled with hatred, and those individuals should never have been
let anywhere near a gun, let alone been in possession of multiple high-powered
firearms. Australia prided itself on its response to the Port Arthur massacre
in 1996. That was nearly 30 years ago. Since then, the gun industry has
exploited loopholes in the law, introducing non-semiautomatic versions of
banned firearms. Meanwhile, technologies like 3D printing have posed new risks
that simply were not fathomable 30 years ago.
We need better
national firearm laws. Yesterday, National Cabinet agreed to work on
contemporary laws. Western Australia's firearm laws are the toughest and most
sophisticated in the nation. In fact, as the WA police commissioner stated
yesterday:
"The law allows me to take guns
off exactly that type of person, which we have already done on multiple
occasions here in WA since the Firearms Act has come in place," …
For that reason, WA
and New South Wales will lead the national response on gun reform. Our recent
work will help form the blueprint for a wider national response to gun safety. Acts
of terror events are incredibly difficult to predict. We need to combat
extremism and we need to ensure that extremists do not have access to guns. National
gun reform will be opposed by some, just as some opposed our gun reforms here
in Western Australia, but we will not be deterred. All Western Australians
deserve to live in safe and inclusive communities. I will be proud to work at a
national level with the Prime Minister and other state and territory leaders to
create safe and inclusive communities.
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