Firearms Act—Review
368. Mr Scott Learyto thePremier:
Given the Standing Committee on Legislation has moved to extend the reporting date for the review of the Firearms Act 2024 due to the extraordinarily high number of submissions, does the Premier admit that the rushed implementation of this legislation has caused significant and unnecessary uncertainty for thousands of law-abiding Western Australians?
Mr Roger Cook replied:
No, I do not. Western Australia was the last state in the country to reform its gun laws following the Port Arthur massacre. That particular event shocked the nation in a way that few other criminal episodes have, and it was one to which the nation responded. In fact, the Prime Minister at the time acted with purpose and determination, and we saw the significant reforms that took place right across this country to make sure that we take unnecessary guns off the streets of Australia and that we take Australia to a more peaceful place. That decision was a pivot point for the Australian community in that we saw Australia move to a culture and an approach that is the absolute antipathy—the exact opposite—of the proliferation of firearms that we see in places like the United States.
We make no apology for having the strictest gun laws in the country as a result of the work that was done by both the McGowan government and now the Cook government. They are important reforms. They have taken literally tens of thousands of guns off the streets of Western Australia. We saw shooting outbreaks only recently—just two short weeks ago—and some are suspected to be a result of organised criminal behaviour and you can bet your life that the work that we have done to take guns off the streets puts downward pressure on the number and the likelihood of these incidents taking place. It is important that we all do everything we can to keep Western Australians safe.
One of the key ways we can do that is to make sure that we restrict the number of guns in the community and make sure that those who have guns understand that it is a privilege and that with that privilege comes responsibility. The issue that those opposite often point to—or the image or the narrative they convey—is that this is against lawful gun users. This is not. This facilitates lawful gun users having access to licences and access to firearms, particularly those in our rural communities for whom it is a work tool. We respect that, and that is the reason why we have seen such a significant amount of work go into reforming the way that licences are managed, processed and issued through the digital technology that has now been applied, making it easier for people to apply for guns and renew their licences.
As I said, these are the most significant changes to our gun laws in well over two decades. They are important reforms that we are very proud of. We have just seen the Minister for Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence get up and talk about our efforts. We all know the impact that firearms have had in family and domestic violence issues. We heard the Minister for Police get up and make comment yesterday about the work that he and his police force are doing to reduce criminal behaviour. We all know the importance of gun law reform in assisting the police to do their job. That is keeping people safe. I invite all members of Parliament—
Mr Lachlan Hunter interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Central Wheatbelt!
Ms Kim Giddens interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Bateman!
Mr Roger Cook: Mr Speaker, the words of the member for Central Wheatbelt really expose the rank political advantage that the National Party is trying to create here—out of nothing. It is trying to create division and hatred in the community.
Mr Lachlan Hunter interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Central Wheatbelt, I call you for the first time.
Mr Roger Cook: The National Party is trying to create division and hatred in the community by suggesting that, somehow, keeping Western Australians safe—
Mr Lachlan Hunter interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Central Wheatbelt, I call you for the second time.
Mr Roger Cook: Again, Mr Speaker, the member for Central Wheatbelt is a billboard for the National Party's rank hypocrisy on the issue of gun law reform. It will stop at nothing to twist the truth and to twist facts in a way that drives more hatred and division in this community. That is what we saw last week on the front steps of Parliament.
Within the last week or so, I have had the opportunity to speak with members of the community who have fed richly upon the vein of mistruths and lies from the National Party. One gentleman held a rural property. He was proud of the fact that he eliminates feral pigs from his property and from surrounding bushland. He was scared and suggested that the National Party told him he could not have a gun. The National Party told him he could not have a gun. That is what it does. The National Party lies.
Point of order
Mr Peter Rundle: Under standing order 92, "Imputations and personal reflections", I do not appreciate the Premier calling us liars.
The Speaker: Thank you, member for Roe. I can understand you not appreciating that, but it is not a point of order. It was not against an individual. Carry on, Premier.
Question time resumed
Mr Roger Cook: I understand the member for Roe's discomfort at this point in time. We know that he is not a gentleman who agrees with the tactics of the National Party and the lies that it sows about gun law reform. I want to finish on this point: the biggest example of the lies and deceit that are perpetrated by the National Party was its misrepresentation of the comments by the Minister for Police just this week. It is another example of the work that it does every day to try to sow division and hatred in the community, while we on this side stand for community safety. We stand for bringing the community together to condemn gun violence in the community and we are the ones who acted and made Western Australians safer through our gun law reforms.
The Speaker: Members, that concludes question time.
