FIREARMS AMENDMENT BILL 2021
74. Mr S.A. MILLMAN to the Minister for Police:
I refer to the McGowan Labor government's commitment
to cracking down on bikies and serious organised crime figures and getting guns
out of the hands of criminals.
(1) Can the
minister outline to the house how the government's Firearms Amendment
Bill 2021 will target those involved in gun crime and the illegal gun trade?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house whether he is aware of anyone who does not support
these efforts to target organised crime and is instead undermining the hard
work of dedicated police officers?
Mr P. PAPALIA replied:
I thank the member for his question.
(1)–(2)
We have introduced laws to reform the Firearms Act to target organised crime
and other serious criminals. Amongst the reforms in this legislation is the
creation of firearms prohibition orders to specifically target outlaw motorcycle gang members, terrorists and
serious domestic violence offenders. Those are the three types of people
who I have stated in my second reading speech that will be subject to the
firearms prohibition orders that we are
creating with this legislation. We are also focusing on the illegal
manufacturing of firearms, including 3D printing of firearms, to stop
criminals being able to make firearms illegally. We are increasing the
penalties for certain firearm offences relating to stolen firearms, which is
frequently how criminals get hold of weapons, and firing a gun in a way that
will cause fear in the public, which regularly happens at the hands of bikies,
outlaw motorcycle gangs and other criminals. Finally, we are including a permanent
firearms amnesty in the legislation to encourage people to hand in firearms
that are sitting around waiting to be stolen by criminals. That is the
objective of this legislation. It is pretty simple. They are very clear points.
The very clear focus is on stopping criminals from getting their hands on
firearms.
To
address the second part of the member's question, I was very disturbed
to hear a contribution by the Nationals WA last night in this place. One
of the most vocal National Party members, the member for North West Central,
came into this place and accused the police of absolute corrupt practice. Under
the cover of parliamentary privilege, he accused the Western Australia Police
Force of corrupt practice with this legislation. I will quote what the member
said. I took notes at the time, while I was sitting here. He said —
We
have seen the police use legislation to their own advantage to target those
law-abiding citizens who are licensed
gun holders in my community. I know they have been targeted by the police using
an interpretation of the legislation to benefit their cause. I do not know what
that cause is.
I do not know who he is talking
about but I suspect he is defending the bikies. Is he saying that the Western Australia
Police Force is using the law to target bikies and he is standing up for them?
The National Party came in here today and tried to paper over that contribution
that was made last night. It was shocking.
It was disgraceful. He went on to accuse the police of incompetence. I took
notes again. This is in relation to the enduring amnesty part of this
legislation, which will enable people to walk into a police station with their
firearm and not be accused of breaking the law as they are handing it in in the
event that it is not licensed or there is some other issue.
The member for North West Central
said —
Will they go into the police station
and present this firearm and the police will go, ''What do you want me
to do with that? I do not know much about guns''?
He then said —
That is what will happen.
He attacked his local Carnarvon
police officers by saying they are incompetent and incapable of dealing with
the firearms amnesty. For his information, during the 2017 national amnesty, 1 242
firearms were surrendered in Western Australia
without any difficulty. The police seemed to know what to do with them. More recently, between 1 July and 31 December last
year, after we announced another amnesty, 901 firearms in Western Australia were handed in to police, who
were not incompetent and were fully capable of dealing with them and
knew what to do with the guns. They included 71 handguns, 165 shotguns, 665
rifles and parts, and 29 240 rounds of ammunition. The member for North West Central
belled the cat.
Point of Order
Mr R.S. LOVE: This diatribe by the police minister is actually
what he should be doing in his second reading reply. This is ridiculous.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: There is no point of order. Sit down, Deputy
Leader of the Opposition. Carry on, minister.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr P. PAPALIA: The Leader and
Deputy Leader of the Nationals WA cannot come into this place and claim to
support this legislation yet have one of their members attack and undermine it
the night before and suggest that the police are both corrupt and incompetent
in introducing this legislation. That is not acceptable. The Leader of the
Nationals has to show some leadership.
Point of Order
Mr R.S. LOVE: The minister is engaging in debate with members
of the Nationals and is not answering the question.
The DEPUTY
SPEAKER: There is no point of order, Deputy Leader of the
Opposition. Carry on, minister.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr
P. PAPALIA: There needs to be
leadership, Leader of the Nationals. I know that the member for North West Central
is really difficult to understand and
comprehend and that it is hard to work out where he is coming from, but in this
case I think I know where he is coming from
because he also referred in his speech to having received correspondence
from the Shooting Industry Foundation of
Australia. Many of our backbenchers may be familiar with that organisation
because they have probably received correspondence from it. It is not a Western
Australian organisation. It is an east coast organisation. It is a well-funded
industry group that claims peak body status, but it is not a peak body for Western Australia. It has no standing in this
discussion and has no care for Western Australia or for the community
safety of Western Australia. As revealed in a Four Corners report in
2018, the Shooting Industry Foundation of Australia's corporate members
have bankrolled activities with more than $1.2 million since late 2014. Its
members are directors of local firms, NIOA, which calls itself Australia's
largest privately owned supplier of small arms and ammunition, Raytrade, outdoor sporting agencies and the Australian
offshoots of international gun manufactures Winchester and Beretta. For
the information of members, Bob Katter's son-in-law —
Point of Order
Ms M.J.
DAVIES: I am very happy to listen to the minister provide this
information in his second reading reply, but this is question time and it is an
opportunity for the opposition. This is an abuse of question time.
The DEPUTY
SPEAKER: There is no point of order, but the minister will conclude
his comments.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr P. PAPALIA: I will finish
up, Deputy Speaker.
Bob Katter's son-in-law is
the owner of NIOA. The Nationals seems to be particularly favourable to this
group, which is not Western Australian, and its objectives, which undoubtedly
appear to be undermining any gun reform anywhere in the nation. The Leader of
the Nationals needs to consider what she is doing. She cannot say one thing
here and have her members undermining this legislation out there in the
community.