Time for new gun laws to limit gun numbers and keep Australians safe
As the nation reels from the horror of the mass shooting at Bondi Beach, parliaments state and federal must act to stop high powered firearms proliferating in our suburbs and towns.
Decisive national action delivered world leading gun control after the Port Arthur Tragedy, but in the decades since gun numbers have crept back up, with NSW passing more than 1 million registered guns last year.
The horrific antisemitic mass shooting at Bondi Beach was in part made possible by firearms laws that gave these violent men access to multiple high-powered firearms.
Loop holes need to be closed, character checks need to be mandatory and repeated, and hundreds of thousands of high powered firearms need to be removed from homes, suburbs and communities across the country.
The broad direction of gun law changes proposed by the PM and NSW Premier is positive, but the details matter, and the reforms must include tough new laws that take guns out of our communities including:
- Rapid implementation of the National Firearms Register
- Strict limits on the number of firearms people can own with a maximum of three, except in exceptional circumstances
- Prohibitions on accessing high-powered hunting rifles unless clear pressing need is established
- A fresh national buy-back scheme to remove high powered and excess firearms from the community
- Strict prohibitions on rapid-fire firearms including the Adler A 110 lever action shotgun and similar weapons
- Time limited gun licences with ongoing character checks for all gun owners
- Removal of recreational hunting as a “genuine reason” for a firearm licence
Sue Higginson NSW Greens MP and Spokesperson for Justice said:
“New South Wales has a gun problem that we must now confront. We have over 1.1 million guns in this State, more than there were prior to the Port Arthur Massacre. For every 7 people in Australia, there is 1 gun, and there is a frightening concentration of guns in the outer suburbs of Sydney,”
“It’s unfathomable that a young man had been examined by ASIO for his association with terrorism, and yet his father was able to obtain a gun licence and register six firearms. That is a system that is not working and it needs fixing,”
“We must limit the number of guns a person can have, we need stricter controls on who can have them and we need to draw a line in the sand and remove recreational hunting as a genuine reason to own a firearm,”
“The Greens in the NSW Parliament stand ready to work with the Minns Labor Government to progress this urgent gun reform. But it must be real reform based on safety. It is time for us as politicians to unite and stand up to the strong arm and influence of the gun lobby. The tragic and brutal killings in Bondi must not be in vain, this tragedy must save future lives,”
Senator David Shoebridge, Australian Greens Justice Spokesperson said:
“We have been waiting decades for a national firearms register and are told it will still take three more years and not be operational until 2028. That is far too long.
“A single national firearms database is an important missing tool for national crime agencies to track and investigate gun movements and dangerous gun owners.
“There is no excuse for this being delayed to 2028 the Federal government must show leadership and if necessary compel the states to get on board so it can be operational next year.
“The Greens have fought for over a decade to limit the number of guns in our suburbs with strict limits on gun numbers and clearer restrictions on the most dangerous weapons.
“It is wrong that there are thousands of high powered hunting rifles as well as dangerous fast action rifles and shotguns all across Sydney and other cities and towns.
“Limits on gun numbers, restrictions on high powered weapons and bans on rapid fire actions must be implemented urgently.”
Senator Larissa Waters, Leader of the Australian Greens said:
“In the wake of the Port Arthur tragedy, governments collectively took action. So too should we in this moment, and I welcome indications from the Prime Minister and NSW Premier they are considering gun law reform.
“This moment is beyond politics - our resolve to act is a test for our common humanity, and I hope that all of parliament will join together to ensure that no one can walk the streets of Sydney or any Australian city with a high powered gun.
“The Greens will work with the government to pass reforms through federal and state parliaments to tighten the rules around gun ownership. This is not America and we must work both to eradicate anti-semitism and racism and to reduce unnecessary guns in our community”