POLICE —
FIREARMS LICENSING — CORRESPONDENCE
451. Hon AARON STONEHOUSE to the minister representing the
Minister for Police:
I advise the minister that my office
has received a high volume of correspondence over the past 48 hours expressing
both concern and surprise that the WA Police Force have begun sending letters
to licensed firearm owners in Western Australia demanding that as the owner of
a very powerful firearm they justify their continued need for the same.
(1) Has the WA Police Force issued
such letters?
(2) If yes to (1), how many such
letters have been sent in recent weeks?
(3) Will the minister table a template
copy of such correspondence?
(4) Can the
minister confirm whether the WA Police Force consulted with members of the
firearms consultative working group prior to the dispatch of such letters?
(5) What is the WA Police Force
definition of a ''very powerful firearm'', and how was it arrived
at?
Hon
STEPHEN DAWSON replied:
I thank the honourable member for
some notice of this question. I note this question was asked on 17 May, so the
answer is current to that date. The following information has been provided to
me by the Minister for Police.
(1)–(5) Western
Australia Police Force advises it regularly undertakes audits on firearms and
firearm licences to ensure compliance. Fourteen letters have been sent to
individual licence holders who have a 0.50 calibre firearm or a 0.408 CheyTac
firearm and I table an example of the letter sent by WA Police Force. WA Police
Force did not consult the consultative group, as this was a regulatory process.
The WA Police Force definition of a very powerful firearm is a firearm in
excess of 0.308 calibre. The accepted industry term would be ''Ultra
High Calibre''. I table that document.
[See paper 1422.]