Minns’ gun lobby bill referred to inquiry
Premier Chris Minns’ sweetheart deal to support the Shooters Party’s plan to establish a Government funded propaganda arm of the gun lobby in NSW has been referred for a Parliamentary inquiry after the Legislative Council declined to rush the laws through.
Greens MP and spokesperson for Agriculture and the Environment, Sue Higginson, said “This bill from the gun lobby seemed to come out of thin air, and it’s no coincidence that the Premier Chris Minns and his Labor Government immediately supported it just when they were hoping to buy votes for their changes to the workers compensation scheme,”
“The outcry of concern from so many across our communities about the proposed laws has been a massive reason we have worked hard to get the bill referred to an inquiry. The more I have looked at the proposed laws, and the Governments spin about why it’s supporting them, the more absurd it all gets. Enshrining a “right to hunt” in this state, providing resources and power to a statutory body stacked by the gun lobby, making provisions for a Minister for Hunting and then arguing it’s about conservation outcomes is frankly bollocks,”
“If passed, these laws would have a massive impact on the resources of local Councils with all Crown Land managers having to consider shooting on public lands in their communities. Despite the massive impact that these laws would have, no one was consulted with on these changes before Chris Minns made his captain’s call to back the Shooters,”
“This inquiry will give Councils, environment organisations, gun safety advocates, and dissenting Government agencies an opportunity to set the record straight on the lies being told by the Premier and his Shooter cronies,”
“Bob Carr regretted doing a deal with the Shooters to establish the Game Council in 2002, Barry O'Farrell regretted dealing with the shooters and letting guns into our National Parks in 2012. Chris Minns will regret this dirty deal just like his predecessors and NSW will pay the price,”
“These laws will be bad for community safety, bad for protecting the environment, and bad for public confidence in the Minns Labor Government. I look forward to hearing the views of experts and scientists about the true impact of writing public policy to satisfy fringe views of gun advocates. The Inquiry will report back to the Parliament on 10 October 2025,” Ms Higginson said.