❓ A parliamentary question regarding the legality of possessing machetes in WA and the government's response to a court decision on the matter. The Attorney General asserts that the government acted swiftly by amending regulations under the Weapons Act.
AnsweredQoN 188Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to the appeal decision last September and Justice Barker’s ruling that it is not an offence in WA for a person to possess a machete, and in particular to his following comment - Whether or not it should be is a question for the Parliament of the State. The Attorney General responded on 18 September 2004 indicating that he will study this court decision closely to see whether the government needed to correct any shortcomings in the law. In March of this year, a member of the public had his hand almost severed by a meat clever during an attack in Northbridge. (1) Eight months after the appeal decision and 19 months after the incident in question, has the Attorney General yet identified the shortcomings in the law that allow people to carry menacing weapons in public; if so, exactly when will he take action to change the relevant law? (2) When will we see a bill in this Parliament, and when will the Attorney General do something about it? Mr J.A. McGINTY
AnswerView source ↗
(1)-(2) I am delighted to be able to say that the government acted within days of that decision. We amended the regulations made under the Weapons Act. The gazettal of a machete as a controlled weapon for the purposes of that legislation was a matter within the responsibility of the Minister for Police and Emergency Services. Accordingly, unfortunately, the member for Leschenault has fallen flat on his face because we have done it.
Whether or not it should be is a question for the Parliament of the State. The Attorney General responded on 18 September 2004 indicating that he will study this court decision closely to see whether the government needed to correct any shortcomings in the law. In March of this year, a member of the public had his hand almost severed by a meat clever during an attack in Northbridge. (1) Eight months after the appeal decision and 19 months after the incident in question, has the Attorney General yet identified the shortcomings in the law that allow people to carry menacing weapons in public; if so, exactly when will he take action to change the relevant law? (2) When will we see a bill in this Parliament, and when will the Attorney General do something about it? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(2) I am delighted to be able to say that the government acted within days of that decision. We amended the regulations made under the Weapons Act. The gazettal of a machete as a controlled weapon for the purposes of that legislation was a matter within the responsibility of the Minister for Police and Emergency Services. Accordingly, unfortunately, the member for Leschenault has fallen flat on his face because we have done it.
The Attorney General responded on 18 September 2004 indicating that he will study this court decision closely to see whether the government needed to correct any shortcomings in the law. In March of this year, a member of the public had his hand almost severed by a meat clever during an attack in Northbridge. (1) Eight months after the appeal decision and 19 months after the incident in question, has the Attorney General yet identified the shortcomings in the law that allow people to carry menacing weapons in public; if so, exactly when will he take action to change the relevant law? (2) When will we see a bill in this Parliament, and when will the Attorney General do something about it? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(2) I am delighted to be able to say that the government acted within days of that decision. We amended the regulations made under the Weapons Act. The gazettal of a machete as a controlled weapon for the purposes of that legislation was a matter within the responsibility of the Minister for Police and Emergency Services. Accordingly, unfortunately, the member for Leschenault has fallen flat on his face because we have done it.
(1) Eight months after the appeal decision and 19 months after the incident in question, has the Attorney General yet identified the shortcomings in the law that allow people to carry menacing weapons in public; if so, exactly when will he take action to change the relevant law? (2) When will we see a bill in this Parliament, and when will the Attorney General do something about it? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(2) I am delighted to be able to say that the government acted within days of that decision. We amended the regulations made under the Weapons Act. The gazettal of a machete as a controlled weapon for the purposes of that legislation was a matter within the responsibility of the Minister for Police and Emergency Services. Accordingly, unfortunately, the member for Leschenault has fallen flat on his face because we have done it.
(2) When will we see a bill in this Parliament, and when will the Attorney General do something about it? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(2) I am delighted to be able to say that the government acted within days of that decision. We amended the regulations made under the Weapons Act. The gazettal of a machete as a controlled weapon for the purposes of that legislation was a matter within the responsibility of the Minister for Police and Emergency Services. Accordingly, unfortunately, the member for Leschenault has fallen flat on his face because we have done it.
Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(2) I am delighted to be able to say that the government acted within days of that decision. We amended the regulations made under the Weapons Act. The gazettal of a machete as a controlled weapon for the purposes of that legislation was a matter within the responsibility of the Minister for Police and Emergency Services. Accordingly, unfortunately, the member for Leschenault has fallen flat on his face because we have done it.
(1)-(2) I am delighted to be able to say that the government acted within days of that decision. We amended the regulations made under the Weapons Act. The gazettal of a machete as a controlled weapon for the purposes of that legislation was a matter within the responsibility of the Minister for Police and Emergency Services. Accordingly, unfortunately, the member for Leschenault has fallen flat on his face because we have done it.
Whether or not it should be is a question for the Parliament of the State. The Attorney General responded on 18 September 2004 indicating that he will study this court decision closely to see whether the government needed to correct any shortcomings in the law. In March of this year, a member of the public had his hand almost severed by a meat clever during an attack in Northbridge. (1) Eight months after the appeal decision and 19 months after the incident in question, has the Attorney General yet identified the shortcomings in the law that allow people to carry menacing weapons in public; if so, exactly when will he take action to change the relevant law? (2) When will we see a bill in this Parliament, and when will the Attorney General do something about it? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(2) I am delighted to be able to say that the government acted within days of that decision. We amended the regulations made under the Weapons Act. The gazettal of a machete as a controlled weapon for the purposes of that legislation was a matter within the responsibility of the Minister for Police and Emergency Services. Accordingly, unfortunately, the member for Leschenault has fallen flat on his face because we have done it.
The Attorney General responded on 18 September 2004 indicating that he will study this court decision closely to see whether the government needed to correct any shortcomings in the law. In March of this year, a member of the public had his hand almost severed by a meat clever during an attack in Northbridge. (1) Eight months after the appeal decision and 19 months after the incident in question, has the Attorney General yet identified the shortcomings in the law that allow people to carry menacing weapons in public; if so, exactly when will he take action to change the relevant law? (2) When will we see a bill in this Parliament, and when will the Attorney General do something about it? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(2) I am delighted to be able to say that the government acted within days of that decision. We amended the regulations made under the Weapons Act. The gazettal of a machete as a controlled weapon for the purposes of that legislation was a matter within the responsibility of the Minister for Police and Emergency Services. Accordingly, unfortunately, the member for Leschenault has fallen flat on his face because we have done it.
(1) Eight months after the appeal decision and 19 months after the incident in question, has the Attorney General yet identified the shortcomings in the law that allow people to carry menacing weapons in public; if so, exactly when will he take action to change the relevant law? (2) When will we see a bill in this Parliament, and when will the Attorney General do something about it? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(2) I am delighted to be able to say that the government acted within days of that decision. We amended the regulations made under the Weapons Act. The gazettal of a machete as a controlled weapon for the purposes of that legislation was a matter within the responsibility of the Minister for Police and Emergency Services. Accordingly, unfortunately, the member for Leschenault has fallen flat on his face because we have done it.
(2) When will we see a bill in this Parliament, and when will the Attorney General do something about it? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(2) I am delighted to be able to say that the government acted within days of that decision. We amended the regulations made under the Weapons Act. The gazettal of a machete as a controlled weapon for the purposes of that legislation was a matter within the responsibility of the Minister for Police and Emergency Services. Accordingly, unfortunately, the member for Leschenault has fallen flat on his face because we have done it.
Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(2) I am delighted to be able to say that the government acted within days of that decision. We amended the regulations made under the Weapons Act. The gazettal of a machete as a controlled weapon for the purposes of that legislation was a matter within the responsibility of the Minister for Police and Emergency Services. Accordingly, unfortunately, the member for Leschenault has fallen flat on his face because we have done it.
(1)-(2) I am delighted to be able to say that the government acted within days of that decision. We amended the regulations made under the Weapons Act. The gazettal of a machete as a controlled weapon for the purposes of that legislation was a matter within the responsibility of the Minister for Police and Emergency Services. Accordingly, unfortunately, the member for Leschenault has fallen flat on his face because we have done it.
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