❓ Question regarding potential repeal of firearm laws and its impact on community safety. Premier uses the question to attack the opposition coalition and their stance on gun laws.
AnsweredQoN 774Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
FIREARMS ACT —
REPEAL
774. Dr J. KRISHNAN to the Premier:
Before I ask my question, on behalf
of the member for Southern River, I acknowledge the Huntingdale Primary School
students visiting us in the gallery.
I refer to the Cook Labor government's
nation-leading reforms to Western Australia's firearm laws.
(1) Can the
Premier advise the house whether he is aware of any circumstances that would
lead to the repeal of these laws?
(2) Can the
Premier advise the house what the repeal or weakening of WA's firearm
legislation would mean for community safety?
REPEAL
774. Dr J. KRISHNAN to the Premier:
Before I ask my question, on behalf
of the member for Southern River, I acknowledge the Huntingdale Primary School
students visiting us in the gallery.
I refer to the Cook Labor government's
nation-leading reforms to Western Australia's firearm laws.
(1) Can the
Premier advise the house whether he is aware of any circumstances that would
lead to the repeal of these laws?
(2) Can the
Premier advise the house what the repeal or weakening of WA's firearm
legislation would mean for community safety?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I
thank the member for the question. It is a very important one, because even
though the starting gun has yet to sound for the 2025 state election campaign,
we have already seen the opposition plagued by division. Earlier this year,
there were the defections and the claims of bullying. Last month, the Nationals
WA leader publicly criticised the Liberal Party's stamp duty policy.
Now, the opposition parties, which seek to form a coalition government—this
is the key: they cannot do this separately; they can only do it together—are
feuding over matters that, quite frankly, are far more serious, in fact,
deadly. That is the issue of gun safety. It is about reversing the reforms that
take guns from domestic violence offenders, introduce basic health checks for
gun owners and overhaul the corrupted property letter system.
We know that the Liberal Party's
only path to government is through a coalition, but we also now know that its
only path to government is to rip up Western Australia's nation-leading
gun laws. We know this because the Leader of the Nationals WA has stated it
categorically. He has created a firm ultimatum to the Liberal Party. The Leader
of the Nationals WA has also said that he made his position clear to the Liberal Party ahead of a speech that he gave in
Bunbury just last Thursday. The question is: when will the Leader of the
Liberal Party categorically rule out a coalition with the National Party, and
when will the Leader of the Liberal Party
publicly declare her commitment to upholding Australia's toughest
firearm laws?
Ms L. Mettam interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Mr R.H. COOK : All we have
heard so far is deafening silence. The Liberal leader says that she is against
domestic violence, yet she will not denounce the Leader of the Opposition. The
Liberal leader says that she stands for community
safety, yet she will not denounce the Leader of the Opposition. The Liberal
leader says she wants women to feel safe in their homes, yet she is yet
to denounce the Leader of the Opposition's position.
We saw how the Liberal Party voted
on the firearms reforms—some absconded, some voted against them.
Granted, the Liberal leader has previously made loose claims in the house that
she would not unwind firearms laws—yet, and this is a big yet. If faced
with the choice between protecting firearms laws or forming a coalition
government and scrapping them at the expense of community safety, I think we
all know which option would be taken. Further to that, we read comments from a Liberal
Party spokesperson denouncing the politics and infighting, and we read about
the Liberal Party spokesperson saying —
''We are not going to enter
into deals or horse trading on forming government,'' �
Of
course they will, at least for now. They will attempt to sweep it under the rug
and then deal with it once the votes have been counted. That is what
they do on the other side. The Leader of the Liberal Party must be honest. Does
she support our safe gun laws and will she oppose the Leader of the Opposition?
A Liberal–National coalition
is a risk to our state, our economy and our community safety. We have seen time
and again how the Liberals and Nationals will say and do anything regardless of
the risks if it means getting ahead, but we now know that a vote for the
Liberal Party is a vote for more guns in the community. It will open the door
to more guns, more violence and more preventable deaths, and no-one who cares
about community safety should be wasting their vote on the Liberal Party.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
thank the member for the question. It is a very important one, because even
though the starting gun has yet to sound for the 2025 state election campaign,
we have already seen the opposition plagued by division. Earlier this year,
there were the defections and the claims of bullying. Last month, the Nationals
WA leader publicly criticised the Liberal Party's stamp duty policy.
Now, the opposition parties, which seek to form a coalition government—this
is the key: they cannot do this separately; they can only do it together—are
feuding over matters that, quite frankly, are far more serious, in fact,
deadly. That is the issue of gun safety. It is about reversing the reforms that
take guns from domestic violence offenders, introduce basic health checks for
gun owners and overhaul the corrupted property letter system.
We know that the Liberal Party's
only path to government is through a coalition, but we also now know that its
only path to government is to rip up Western Australia's nation-leading
gun laws. We know this because the Leader of the Nationals WA has stated it
categorically. He has created a firm ultimatum to the Liberal Party. The Leader
of the Nationals WA has also said that he made his position clear to the Liberal Party ahead of a speech that he gave in
Bunbury just last Thursday. The question is: when will the Leader of the
Liberal Party categorically rule out a coalition with the National Party, and
when will the Leader of the Liberal Party
publicly declare her commitment to upholding Australia's toughest
firearm laws?
Ms L. Mettam interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Mr R.H. COOK : All we have
heard so far is deafening silence. The Liberal leader says that she is against
domestic violence, yet she will not denounce the Leader of the Opposition. The
Liberal leader says that she stands for community
safety, yet she will not denounce the Leader of the Opposition. The Liberal
leader says she wants women to feel safe in their homes, yet she is yet
to denounce the Leader of the Opposition's position.
We saw how the Liberal Party voted
on the firearms reforms—some absconded, some voted against them.
Granted, the Liberal leader has previously made loose claims in the house that
she would not unwind firearms laws—yet, and this is a big yet. If faced
with the choice between protecting firearms laws or forming a coalition
government and scrapping them at the expense of community safety, I think we
all know which option would be taken. Further to that, we read comments from a Liberal
Party spokesperson denouncing the politics and infighting, and we read about
the Liberal Party spokesperson saying —
''We are not going to enter
into deals or horse trading on forming government,'' �
Of
course they will, at least for now. They will attempt to sweep it under the rug
and then deal with it once the votes have been counted. That is what
they do on the other side. The Leader of the Liberal Party must be honest. Does
she support our safe gun laws and will she oppose the Leader of the Opposition?
A Liberal–National coalition
is a risk to our state, our economy and our community safety. We have seen time
and again how the Liberals and Nationals will say and do anything regardless of
the risks if it means getting ahead, but we now know that a vote for the
Liberal Party is a vote for more guns in the community. It will open the door
to more guns, more violence and more preventable deaths, and no-one who cares
about community safety should be wasting their vote on the Liberal Party.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
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