After months of delay, finally the Rockliff Government has announced its position on nationally proposed firearms reforms. Predictably though, the proposed changes fall short of what’s needed to maximise community safety and be authentically national leading.
The Government’s proposal does contain some improvements, and the Greens are glad to see overdue tighter restrictions for straight pull and button-release firearms and the fast tracking of the National Firearms Register.
But it’s deeply disappointing the government has refused to cap individual ownership of firearms and fully participate in the national buyback scheme.
Police Minister Felix Ellis has repeatedly made clear he doesn’t want a cap on firearm ownership, so it’s no surprise this crucial measure has not been supported by the Rockliff Government.
However that doesn’t mean it can’t still happen. The Greens will be considering amendments to the government’s proposals and we will engage with the Parliament as a whole to see what further changes may be achievable.
Capping the number of firearms individuals can own is a step already taken by NSW and WA, and Tasmania should follow their lead. It’s so important for community safety that we significantly reduce the number of firearms an individual can own.
Of course a cap must take into account the needs of people like farmers – as has been done in mainland states who have made this change. But we can’t ignore the fact that having a higher number of firearms in the community means more of them ending up in the wrong hands, which makes us all less safe. This is a fact that has been raised for sometime, as firearms incidents have risen dramatically across Tasmania in the last 18 months.
The Greens look forward to speaking to our colleagues across the Parliament about this issue. Given the Opposition’s previous positive statements on this issue, we are hopeful of constructive conversations with a view to strengthening these reforms.
