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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 5 (Hansard) 16 May) . . Page.. 1332 ..

MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Speaker, I am simply saying that I do not think a case has been made out for the banning of this sport, this recreation, in the ACT. Neither Ms Follett nor Ms Horodny has produced any evidence from academic sources about the impact of these sorts of games or games like them. Perhaps they have not looked for it. Perhaps it is not available. I think, Mr Speaker, with great respect, that it is dangerous for us to limit the freedom that citizens in this Territory have, unless we have strong evidence to suggest that it is appropriate to do so.

MR BERRY (10.57): Mr Speaker, I believe that it would demonstrate an appalling hypocrisy for this Assembly to support such a pro-violence activity in an environment where we have just moved with great speed to tighten up our gun laws in the wake of a tragedy which occurred in another State. We have always taken pride in demonstrating a leadership in the area of guns. In fact, the paintball guns would remain banned if it were not for the changes which have been proposed by the Government. These are guns which, without adequate protection, can cause an injury to anybody who happens to be a target.

Mr Speaker, it seems to me that you cannot say, on the one hand, that you would ban a particular weapon because somebody might use it - the evidence is that they are used in violent activities - and say, on the other hand, that a weapon or a simulated weapon, whatever you like to call it, will not be banned where, in fact, it is used in the practice of simulated killing. Those are the realities of the situation. These weapons, and they are regarded as weapons under the Weapons Act, are used in the practice of simulated killing. People in military-style uniforms racing around a simulated battlefield are shot down in a simulated exercise and they are declared dead.

I think the environment that we have now in Australia is not one where you approve these sorts of activities. I think the people of the ACT would welcome the banning of this activity. It would demonstrate to the rest of Australia that we really mean what we say. I, for one, would feel slightly ashamed if this week we pass stringent weapons legislation to ban weapons that will kill people and then, on the other hand, encourage people to go out and go through the exercise of a simulated killing. This is not like using a cap pistol; this is about hitting a target, making a mark on the target and declaring the person dead. Mr Speaker, it is not an activity that I would involve myself in. I have never involved myself in it because it would send the wrong message to people around me. It is not the message that I would send. Yes, there are some people out there who enjoy the sport of these sorts of things; but to them I say, "You are sending the wrong message to the rest of the community". As a legislator, I am prepared to make the stand to ensure that this game of simulated killing does not happen here in the ACT.

It surprises me somewhat that the Minister can rise to his feet here and make some comparison between these weapons and the simulated killing practice which occurs with their use and the freedom to watch X-rated videos. X-rated videos do not include this sort of violence. They do not include violence. They do not include simulated killing.

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