❓ WA Police Minister defends firearm law reforms, highlighting gun removal and safety improvements. He criticises the National Party's stance on repealing the act and challenges the Liberal Party to clarify their position.
AnsweredQoN 766Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
FIREARMS ACT —
REFORM — COMMUNITY SAFETY
766. Mr S.N. AUBREY to the Minister for Police:
I refer to the Cook Labor government's
commitment to keeping the Western Australian community safe.
(1) Can the
minister advise the house how this government's reforms to WA's
firearm laws have removed thousands of guns from Western Australian streets?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house whether he is aware of any plans to reverse these
important community safety reforms?
REFORM — COMMUNITY SAFETY
766. Mr S.N. AUBREY to the Minister for Police:
I refer to the Cook Labor government's
commitment to keeping the Western Australian community safe.
(1) Can the
minister advise the house how this government's reforms to WA's
firearm laws have removed thousands of guns from Western Australian streets?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house whether he is aware of any plans to reverse these
important community safety reforms?
AnswerView source ↗
(1) I thank the
member for his question. Yes, I can confirm that we have passed the toughest
gun laws in the country, and we have removed thousands of firearms from Western
Australian suburbs and towns. That has already made the place safer. Fewer
firearms in the houses in our suburbs and towns means they are less likely to
find their way into the hands of people who would do harm with them. We have
primarily elevated public safety to the number one consideration of the law. As
a consequence, we are the first jurisdiction in the country to limit the number
of guns a licence holder can have, we are disarming serious offenders like domestic violence perpetrators, and
we are introducing a raft of new requirements for licence holders, including mandatory training, regular
health checks, stricter storage requirements and reform of the very
corrupted property letter system. Two years ago, before this law, we made
amendments to the Firearms Act to make the community safer. We more than
doubled the penalties for anyone convicted of unlawful possession or use of a firearm,
outlawed 3D-printed guns and created firearm prohibition orders targeting
bikies and other organised criminals. The Cook government's buyback
scheme has removed more than 38 000 firearms from the community. Our new laws
are making WA safer.
(2) I can say
that there unfortunately is somebody, or probably more than one person, looking
to undermine that effort and make the community less safe. The Premier already
referred to a recent article in the Bunbury Herald that raised some
significant matters that I think need to be interrogated further by us here. I would encourage anyone in the media
viewing this to consider the implications of the statement made by the
National Party Leader of the Opposition down in Bunbury on the weekend. The
Nationals travel around the state going to
different locations, often with very few people listening to them, trumpeting
their support of the gun lobby that gave them a $50 000 donation. In
Bunbury on the weekend, the Leader of the Opposition said —
''If the Nationals and
Liberals together are in a position to form government, then a condition to
that government would be that we disallow the regulations which surround the
Firearms Act so that we can go back to the drawing board �
That means that it would repeal the
current act that is removing firearms from dangerous criminals and family and
domestic violence offenders.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please.
Mr P. PAPALIA : I wonder what
the Leader of the Liberal Party's view is on this. You cannot stay in the
shadows and remain ambiguous and suggest that you somehow supported the laws,
although, you did not like some parts, so
you absented yourself from the chamber. In this house, the member for North West
Central voted against the laws . In the other house, Hon Dr Steve Thomas
voted against the laws and Hon Nick Goiran went running out of the chamber. What is the Liberal Party's
position? I know what the member for Churchlands thinks about firearms laws .
I know she supports all our amendments to the Firearms Act. The people of
Floreat and surrounding suburbs, I am sure, would support our Firearms Act, and
we expect that anyone advocating or campaigning to represent them might also
support the Firearms Act. The Leader of the Liberal Party needs to be very clear
here. There is no way that the Liberal Party will form government without the
National Party or vice versa. Everyone knows that. What is the Liberal Party's
position? Are you supportive of the Nationals rescinding the act?
Point of Order
Mr P.J. RUNDLE : Point of
order.
The SPEAKER : Order, please.
Minister, sit down. Points of order are taken in silence.
Mr P.J. RUNDLE : The Minister
for Police seems to be taking the playbook of the Minister for Education in
asking questions when he is meant to be answering them.
The SPEAKER : With respect to
that point of order, I have given a little latitude to you, Minister for
Police. You have asked a number of rhetorical questions largely directed at the
Leader of the Liberal Party and others. I ask you to perhaps move on and
complete your answer, please.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr P. PAPALIA : Thanks,
Speaker.
The quote from the Leader of the
National Party, the Leader of the Opposition at the moment in Western Australia,
indicates that the Nationals would disallow the regulations that enforce the
2024 Firearms Act and go back to the drawing board. That would mean that
dangerous family and domestic violence offenders, dangerous sex offenders and
outlaw motorcycle gang members who currently under the inadequate laws that the
Leader of the Opposition likes would be able
to have licences and possess and keep their firearms. The question must be
asked of the leadership of the
alternative government: where does she stand? Where does she stand? You cannot
pretend you support them.
The SPEAKER : Minister, I have
asked you not to pursue that line of� asking questions.
Mr P. PAPALIA : I will just
conclude by saying that the Firearms Act 2024 makes the community safer. The Nationals and, by the looks of it, the Liberal
Party, are intent on undermining those laws and making the community less safe, and they should be held to account.
member for his question. Yes, I can confirm that we have passed the toughest
gun laws in the country, and we have removed thousands of firearms from Western
Australian suburbs and towns. That has already made the place safer. Fewer
firearms in the houses in our suburbs and towns means they are less likely to
find their way into the hands of people who would do harm with them. We have
primarily elevated public safety to the number one consideration of the law. As
a consequence, we are the first jurisdiction in the country to limit the number
of guns a licence holder can have, we are disarming serious offenders like domestic violence perpetrators, and
we are introducing a raft of new requirements for licence holders, including mandatory training, regular
health checks, stricter storage requirements and reform of the very
corrupted property letter system. Two years ago, before this law, we made
amendments to the Firearms Act to make the community safer. We more than
doubled the penalties for anyone convicted of unlawful possession or use of a firearm,
outlawed 3D-printed guns and created firearm prohibition orders targeting
bikies and other organised criminals. The Cook government's buyback
scheme has removed more than 38 000 firearms from the community. Our new laws
are making WA safer.
(2) I can say
that there unfortunately is somebody, or probably more than one person, looking
to undermine that effort and make the community less safe. The Premier already
referred to a recent article in the Bunbury Herald that raised some
significant matters that I think need to be interrogated further by us here. I would encourage anyone in the media
viewing this to consider the implications of the statement made by the
National Party Leader of the Opposition down in Bunbury on the weekend. The
Nationals travel around the state going to
different locations, often with very few people listening to them, trumpeting
their support of the gun lobby that gave them a $50 000 donation. In
Bunbury on the weekend, the Leader of the Opposition said —
''If the Nationals and
Liberals together are in a position to form government, then a condition to
that government would be that we disallow the regulations which surround the
Firearms Act so that we can go back to the drawing board �
That means that it would repeal the
current act that is removing firearms from dangerous criminals and family and
domestic violence offenders.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please.
Mr P. PAPALIA : I wonder what
the Leader of the Liberal Party's view is on this. You cannot stay in the
shadows and remain ambiguous and suggest that you somehow supported the laws,
although, you did not like some parts, so
you absented yourself from the chamber. In this house, the member for North West
Central voted against the laws . In the other house, Hon Dr Steve Thomas
voted against the laws and Hon Nick Goiran went running out of the chamber. What is the Liberal Party's
position? I know what the member for Churchlands thinks about firearms laws .
I know she supports all our amendments to the Firearms Act. The people of
Floreat and surrounding suburbs, I am sure, would support our Firearms Act, and
we expect that anyone advocating or campaigning to represent them might also
support the Firearms Act. The Leader of the Liberal Party needs to be very clear
here. There is no way that the Liberal Party will form government without the
National Party or vice versa. Everyone knows that. What is the Liberal Party's
position? Are you supportive of the Nationals rescinding the act?
Point of Order
Mr P.J. RUNDLE : Point of
order.
The SPEAKER : Order, please.
Minister, sit down. Points of order are taken in silence.
Mr P.J. RUNDLE : The Minister
for Police seems to be taking the playbook of the Minister for Education in
asking questions when he is meant to be answering them.
The SPEAKER : With respect to
that point of order, I have given a little latitude to you, Minister for
Police. You have asked a number of rhetorical questions largely directed at the
Leader of the Liberal Party and others. I ask you to perhaps move on and
complete your answer, please.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr P. PAPALIA : Thanks,
Speaker.
The quote from the Leader of the
National Party, the Leader of the Opposition at the moment in Western Australia,
indicates that the Nationals would disallow the regulations that enforce the
2024 Firearms Act and go back to the drawing board. That would mean that
dangerous family and domestic violence offenders, dangerous sex offenders and
outlaw motorcycle gang members who currently under the inadequate laws that the
Leader of the Opposition likes would be able
to have licences and possess and keep their firearms. The question must be
asked of the leadership of the
alternative government: where does she stand? Where does she stand? You cannot
pretend you support them.
The SPEAKER : Minister, I have
asked you not to pursue that line of� asking questions.
Mr P. PAPALIA : I will just
conclude by saying that the Firearms Act 2024 makes the community safer. The Nationals and, by the looks of it, the Liberal
Party, are intent on undermining those laws and making the community less safe, and they should be held to account.
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