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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 3 Hansard (27 March) . . Page.. 744 ..

MR MOORE (continuing):

concerning Ms Follett and it certainly concerns me - that we may be tempted to loosen our gun laws in order to bring other States closer to us. I do not think it is a good enough reason. I think that we should serve as a beacon in this area and show that you can have restrictive gun laws and that those gun laws have a positive effect on society rather than the negative effect that some people would suggest.

Mr Speaker, we do have the advantage of having a very small rural community in the ACT that the other States do not have, and it is an advantage that we should use as a way of ensuring that the legislation we have in this area is amongst the most restrictive in the world. What we have shown is that it is possible for some people to use guns in a sporting way under our legislative regime, but it can still be particularly restrictive. We recognise that people use guns within a sporting regime as far as the Olympics are concerned. In fact, Australia has always been at the forefront of shooters as far as using guns in that sporting environment is concerned.

I think there are methods that we can look at beyond the legislation before us now where we can be even more restrictive but still facilitate that situation. I look forward to the day when such weapons are kept on premises of the sporting clubs and not in homes. There is a whole series of things. I think we can slowly move, step by step, towards ensuring restrictive legislation that does make available to people who wish to pursue those sports, under certain circumstances, these sorts of - - -

Debate interrupted.

MR SPEAKER: Order! It being 5.00 pm, I propose the question:

That the Assembly do now adjourn.

Mr Humphries: I require the question to be put forthwith without debate.

Question resolved in the negative.

Debate resumed.

MR MOORE: Mr Speaker, I will conclude by saying that I would like to support in particular the comments made by Ms Follett as well as the comments made by the Attorney-General. In the vast majority of parts of this legislation, overall, I believe that this legislation does tighten up our gun legislation - our weapons legislation, I should say, because it goes beyond guns - and I think that it is appropriate that it should do so.

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