Page 294 - Week 01 - Thursday, 24 February 1994
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under section 15FK of the Consumer Affairs Act 1973 (or by the Courts under judicial review principles).
(3) The purpose of a Consumer Product Safety Order is to ensure that only safe goods are supplied to the public. While consumers should have as much freedom as possible to manage their own affairs, government should intervene as appropriate to control product hazards so that any product available for supply to the public is reasonably safe in normal use.
A Consumer Product Safety Order was made following the shooting incident at Strathfield, but prior to the commencement of the Weapons Act 1991, to immediately ensure that the availability of military style self-loading centre fire rifles to the ACT public was reduced. This Order has remained in force following the commencement of the Weapons Act 1991, and only affects the supply (ie, sale, transfer, loan, etc) of these weapons in the ACT. The Order does not prevent a person from possessing a weapon of this type in the ACT, provided it is in accordance with the requirements of the Weapons Act 1991.
Military style self-loading centre fire rifles can only be possessed in the ACT if the owner obtains a Dangerous Weapons licence, with the approved reason that he or she is a member of an approved club and participates in competitions in the use of such a weapon held by or in association with that club. Such weapons can be used for no other purpose. Through the implementation of a licensing scheme and restricting the circumstances in which weapons may be used, the Weapons Act 1991 also ensures that the general availability of potentially dangerous weapons to the public is reduced.
Following a resolution, which was supported by all jurisdictions, of the Australian Police Ministers' Council to ban the sale of weapons of the type used in the Strathfield shootings, I propose to introduce appropriate amendments to the Weapons Act 1991 into the Assembly in 1994. Once these amendments are in place, I intend to revoke the Consumer Product Safety Order.
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