Question Without Notice No. 767 asked in the Legislative Council on 2 November 2017 by Hon Rick Mazza
Parliament: 40 Session: 1
POLICE — FIREARMS AMENDMENT REGULATIONS 767. Hon RICK MAZZA to the minister representing the Minister for Police:
I note that a comprehensive report by Dr David Cox, chair of the Law Reform Commission, ''Review of the Firearms Act 1973 (WA): Project 105 Final Report'', has been generally well received by both the WA Police Force and firearms industry stakeholders. It is currently under consideration by the government.
I refer to the minister's response to my question without notice 741 of 1 November 2017 in which he stated —
I am keen to see a practical solution that does not compromise community safety.
(1) Can the minister advise how community safety has been compromised under commercial carriage arrangements by Australia Post prior to the change of policy by the WA Police Force?
(2) Is the minister aware of Dr David Cox's comment on page 9 of the Final Report of the Review of the Firearms Act, which states —
� the vast majority of firearms users in Western Australia are law-abiding and the Commission certainly has no intention of recommending legislative change that could make it more difficult for firearms users to abide by the law while having no practical purpose to meet the objects of the � Act.
(3) If yes to (2), can the minister explain this to those rural and regional family businesses, clubs and sporting groups that are being forced to the wall, through a change in her department's policy, which has no practical purpose to meet the objectives of the act?
Hon STEPHEN DAWSON replied:
I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. The following information has been provided to me by the Minister for Police —
(1)–(3) Western Australia Police Force is continuing to work to resolve these issues. It is important that licensed firearms can be legitimately and appropriately transported across the state.
I am aware of the comments within the Law Reform Commission's report, ''Review of the Firearms Act 1973''.