Page 464 - Week 02 - Thursday, 22 February 1990
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
That this Bill be agreed to in principle.
The Weapons Bill is the culmination of a comprehensive review of the existing Gun Licence Act 1937 which began a number of years ago - I stress a number of years ago, Mr Speaker - and was hastened by much publicised multiple killings both in the ACT and elsewhere. The issues of weapon control is an emotive one.
On the one hand, there are those who are horrified by gun misuse and demand legislation leading to a prohibition on most gun ownership. On the other hand, there are the people who see the right to own and use guns as a personal one and consider any attempt to limit gun ownership as an attack upon their individual liberties.
The view of the Alliance Government is that a reasoned approach, which has been developed with the direct involvement of interest groups, such as the Australian Federal Police and sporting shooters' organisations, will gain the support of the general community. The Government also expects the support of mature and responsible gun owners who will appreciate the need for some additional controls to minimise the possibility of gun misuse.
The Bill establishes a system of dual registration. Every person who owns or uses a weapon will have to be licensed and every weapon that he or she owns or uses will have to be registered on that licence. Each applicant for a licence will have to satisfy a number of criteria prior to obtaining a licence. These criteria, especially those requiring the applicant to be a fit and proper person and to show good reason why he or she has need of a weapon, comprise the most fundamental aspects of the Bill.
Other provisions will require a prospective licensee to satisfactorily complete a course in the safe handling of weapons or to satisfy the registrar that he or she has adequate or experience in such handling, thereby ensuring that those who do want to own and use a weapon will be sufficiently skilled to avoid any mishap causing injury to themselves or others.
There has been, during the development of the legislation, debate on the necessity of establishing a dual registration system. It has been pointed out, correctly, that in a number of jurisdictions a licensee is no longer required to register each of his or her weapons. However, the Government considers that such a system is essential for the quick and effective tracing of weapons. The ACT already has a system of individual gun registration but what is proposed is simpler and more convenient for licensees. All weapons held by a licensee will only need to be registered once annually when the licence is renewed rather than on the anniversary of each individual weapon registration.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .