Page 4009 - Week 14 - Tuesday, 22 October 1991
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The report of the National Committee on Violence, entitled "Violence: Directions for Australia", was presented to governments in early 1990. The report presented a comprehensive view of present violence patterns in Australia. Many of the findings confirmed widely held assumptions about violence, while some of the findings dispelled commonly held misconceptions. The report's 138 recommendations for the control and prevention of violence in our community bear on many of our government services and have, over the past several months, presented a considerable task for Federal, State and Territory governments. Tragically, the recent Strathfield shootings have again highlighted the need for governments and the community to focus on the recommendations of the report.
The report clearly indicated that violent behaviour defies simplistic explanation and that it generally results from a combination of factors. The report identified the family as the training ground for aggression but also highlighted the strong evidence that a loving and secure family background can actually overcome the individual's predisposition to violence. Factors relating to poverty, cultural disintegration, gender inequality and substance abuse were also examined, as was the regrettable tendency of Australian culture to condone and legitimise violence on the sporting field and in the media, the home and schools.
As the National Committee on Violence came about as a result of talks on gun control, it is perhaps fitting that the cornerstone of the Government's response rests with the ACT's record in that arena. In this regard, the contribution and support of all members of this Assembly, and of the previous Government in particular, to initiate reforms is recognised. The recently enacted Weapons Act 1991 gives effect to the committee's recommendations on weapons control to the greatest extent possible. The Weapons Act evolved following long and detailed consultations with the community and special interest groups such as sporting associations.
It cannot be said that the controls contained in the Weapons Act will guarantee that events such as those Melbourne multiple shootings in 1987 and the more recent Strathfield massacre this year will not occur again. What can be said, however, is that the Act will assist in reducing the likelihood of such events recurring.
Key points of the legislation, which are discussed in detail in responses to recommendations 54 to 58, include: The prohibition of all automatic weapons and the restriction of semi-automatic weapons and ammunition used for other than approved weapons; extensive registration and licensing procedures; and the capacity for the police to enter, search premises and seize weapons. Thus, the Weapons Act seeks not only to reduce the number of unnecessary firearms in our community but also to state in
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