❓ Ms. Hammat asks about the implementation of firearm laws and the buyback program. The Minister responds, highlighting the program's success and criticising the Nationals' stance on gun laws, while also questioning the Liberal party's position.
AnsweredQoN 817Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
FIREARMS —
BUYBACK PROGRAM
817. Ms M.J. HAMMAT to the Minister for Police:
I refer to the Cook Labor government's
commitment to keep the Western Australian community safe.
(1) Can the
minister update the house on the implementation of this government's
strong firearms laws and voluntary buyback program?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house whether there are any risks to Western Australia's
sensible, strong and safe firearm laws?
BUYBACK PROGRAM
817. Ms M.J. HAMMAT to the Minister for Police:
I refer to the Cook Labor government's
commitment to keep the Western Australian community safe.
(1) Can the
minister update the house on the implementation of this government's
strong firearms laws and voluntary buyback program?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house whether there are any risks to Western Australia's
sensible, strong and safe firearm laws?
AnswerView source ↗
(1) I thank the
member for her question. I can provide her with an update on how the laws are
going. The Firearms Act 2024 was passed in Parliament,
received royal assent and regulations will be published in December. The
act will commence in March. The buyback scheme was an enormous and incredible
success. The buyback scheme from individual licence owners took more than 38 000
firearms out of Western Australian suburbs
and towns. We announced a dealer buyback that will be open until 17 January .
With luck, that will take more firearms out of the community.
(2) As far as risks are concerned, yes, there are
risks. At first glance, someone might say that the Nationals WA are a risk
to the Firearms Act. Having been fully bought and owned by the gun lobby for
the princely sum of $50 000, they have committed to revoking the laws and
allowing American-style gun ownership and unlimited guns for anybody, including
family and domestic violence offenders. That is a potential risk. I think any
rational individual would understand that the Nationals forming government on
their own is not really a risk. If we talk in terms of risk, there is another
risk. The Liberal Party and the National Party forming government is the only real alternative were it ever to occur. A
little over a week ago, the Nationals stated that they would not form
government with the Liberals unless they undertook to revoke the laws. Then we had the unedifying and entertaining
situation in which the Leader of the Liberal Party and one of the
leaders of ''The Clan'' stood next to each other at a press
conference and contradicted each other. The Leader of the Liberal Party
suggested that the Liberals would support the laws. The leader of ''The
Clan'' indicated that they would somehow revoke bits of it. I am not
sure. Will that mean that FDV offenders get
to keep guns? Is that what they are saying? That is the sort of question that
could have been put to either of those two alternative leaders.
There is a third alternative leader
of the Liberal Party out there. I have said before in this place that we know
where the member for Churchlands stands on guns. She is foursquare behind the
government's gun laws. She wants
tougher gun laws. She wants to protect the community from the threat of people
who might do harm with firearms. There is an aspirant leader of the
Liberal Party out there who is a candidate for the seat of Churchlands. It took a few days, but I have to give it to
the ABC; it tracked down this person and asked him for his view on guns.
Ms R. Saffioti : Did they
track him down or did he volunteer?
Mr P. PAPALIA : The ABC
tracked him down. It asked the Liberal candidate for Churchlands for his view
on guns. He managed to answer without doing two things—first, without
telling anyone his view; and, second, without saying
the name of the actual Leader of the Liberal Party. I will quote the seven o'clock
ABC news from 9 November last week. The candidate for the Liberal Party
for the seat of Churchlands said —
''The leader represents the
party's position so if you're in any doubt as to who to believe
or who to listen to, my advice, listen to the leader.
That was interesting advice, without
saying who the leader is! Which leader are we to look for? Which leader are we
to ask or listen to? One can only imagine that that is either a suggestion that
he is assiduously avoiding saying the leader's
name in the same way she assiduously avoided his campaign office opening or he
is thinking that maybe the Leader of the Liberal Party might be someone
else very soon—and maybe he has a position. In the event that it is the
latter, Liberal candidate for Churchlands, you have a platform. It is not like
you are voiceless. We get the 10 commandments every Friday. Please, leader of
the Liberal Party–aspirant, the person who is running for the Liberal
Party for the seat of Churchlands, let us hear on Friday, in the 10 commandments:
firstly, that you support Libby Mettam, the
member for Vasse, the Leader of the Liberal Party; and, secondly, that you
support the gun laws , the Firearms Act 2024, and you will not water them
down. You can swap the order around if you want; I do not mind. One or two out
of 10 should include those two points. I look forward to reading Friday's
paper.
member for her question. I can provide her with an update on how the laws are
going. The Firearms Act 2024 was passed in Parliament,
received royal assent and regulations will be published in December. The
act will commence in March. The buyback scheme was an enormous and incredible
success. The buyback scheme from individual licence owners took more than 38 000
firearms out of Western Australian suburbs
and towns. We announced a dealer buyback that will be open until 17 January .
With luck, that will take more firearms out of the community.
(2) As far as risks are concerned, yes, there are
risks. At first glance, someone might say that the Nationals WA are a risk
to the Firearms Act. Having been fully bought and owned by the gun lobby for
the princely sum of $50 000, they have committed to revoking the laws and
allowing American-style gun ownership and unlimited guns for anybody, including
family and domestic violence offenders. That is a potential risk. I think any
rational individual would understand that the Nationals forming government on
their own is not really a risk. If we talk in terms of risk, there is another
risk. The Liberal Party and the National Party forming government is the only real alternative were it ever to occur. A
little over a week ago, the Nationals stated that they would not form
government with the Liberals unless they undertook to revoke the laws. Then we had the unedifying and entertaining
situation in which the Leader of the Liberal Party and one of the
leaders of ''The Clan'' stood next to each other at a press
conference and contradicted each other. The Leader of the Liberal Party
suggested that the Liberals would support the laws. The leader of ''The
Clan'' indicated that they would somehow revoke bits of it. I am not
sure. Will that mean that FDV offenders get
to keep guns? Is that what they are saying? That is the sort of question that
could have been put to either of those two alternative leaders.
There is a third alternative leader
of the Liberal Party out there. I have said before in this place that we know
where the member for Churchlands stands on guns. She is foursquare behind the
government's gun laws. She wants
tougher gun laws. She wants to protect the community from the threat of people
who might do harm with firearms. There is an aspirant leader of the
Liberal Party out there who is a candidate for the seat of Churchlands. It took a few days, but I have to give it to
the ABC; it tracked down this person and asked him for his view on guns.
Ms R. Saffioti : Did they
track him down or did he volunteer?
Mr P. PAPALIA : The ABC
tracked him down. It asked the Liberal candidate for Churchlands for his view
on guns. He managed to answer without doing two things—first, without
telling anyone his view; and, second, without saying
the name of the actual Leader of the Liberal Party. I will quote the seven o'clock
ABC news from 9 November last week. The candidate for the Liberal Party
for the seat of Churchlands said —
''The leader represents the
party's position so if you're in any doubt as to who to believe
or who to listen to, my advice, listen to the leader.
That was interesting advice, without
saying who the leader is! Which leader are we to look for? Which leader are we
to ask or listen to? One can only imagine that that is either a suggestion that
he is assiduously avoiding saying the leader's
name in the same way she assiduously avoided his campaign office opening or he
is thinking that maybe the Leader of the Liberal Party might be someone
else very soon—and maybe he has a position. In the event that it is the
latter, Liberal candidate for Churchlands, you have a platform. It is not like
you are voiceless. We get the 10 commandments every Friday. Please, leader of
the Liberal Party–aspirant, the person who is running for the Liberal
Party for the seat of Churchlands, let us hear on Friday, in the 10 commandments:
firstly, that you support Libby Mettam, the
member for Vasse, the Leader of the Liberal Party; and, secondly, that you
support the gun laws , the Firearms Act 2024, and you will not water them
down. You can swap the order around if you want; I do not mind. One or two out
of 10 should include those two points. I look forward to reading Friday's
paper.
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