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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 8 Hansard (25 June) . . Page.. 2056 ..

MS FOLLETT (continuing):

Mr Speaker, I would like to commend the continued stance of the Prime Minister and, indeed, of the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Fischer, for whom it must be particularly difficult to have to face hostile and ill-informed large meetings time after time. I want to reiterate that I believe that the proposal put forward by the Australasian Police Ministers Council meeting for a national scheme of gun control is the correct proposal for Australia at this time. I believe it does provide significant protection for the overwhelming majority of the community. I believe it is also the will of the overwhelming majority of the community to see that tough and stringent legislative approach taken to the possession and use of firearms in Australia.

I think it is very much to be regretted that much of the hysteria that is being whipped up by the gun lobby is based on false information. It seems to me that the gun lobby may well be taking advantage of at least some people who are not well informed and is trying to whip up a political force based around some perceived right to bear arms. There is no such right in Australia, and not, indeed, even in America. The fact is that in Australia people own and use firearms only under conditions authorised by the rest of the community through their parliaments, and that is as it ought to be.

It is my view that if people are not able to abide by the law in relation to firearms then they have no right to have them at all. One of the aspects of the debate that is developing appears to be a movement of civil disobedience, so-called - in fact, it is criminal disobedience if you ask me - in regard to gun laws. We have the so-called leaders of the gun lobby urging people to flout the law. This is a disgrace and I believe, Mr Speaker, that it can bring only further disrepute upon the gun lobby, and anybody who follows their advice runs the risk of quite severe criminal penalties.

Mr Speaker, I would like to say that I continue in my support for the outcome of this meeting, and I believe that would be the position of every member of this Assembly. I think it is very much to be regretted that there are some politicians who are prepared to whip up support for themselves personally based on the misinformed but obviously very strongly held views of some gun owners. We have seen that kind of political chicanery taking place now by members and former members of just about every political party, and I think it is a matter of extreme regret. It is my firm hope that, even if those people do base their continuing political career on the issue of so-called freedom to bear arms, there will be enough commonsense within their electorates and within our community that they will find their careers cut short at the next election.

Mr Speaker, as I said, I have been particularly impressed by Mr Tim Fischer's stand. He, being a member of the National Party and having a country-based constituency - indeed, his whole party has a country-based constituency - must feel a particular threat. Indeed, he has been particularly targeted by these so-called gun lobbyists. I only hope that he has the strength to continue to withstand that kind of pressure because the stance he is taking is the correct one in the interests of the whole nation.

MR KAINE (12.05): It is pleasing to see bipartisan support, at least in this Territory, for the approach which was taken by the Ministers and which has already been enacted into law in this Territory, even though other parliaments in other places in Australia are a bit slow to put the decisions into effect. For my part, I believe it is long overdue that laws of this kind should be enacted in Australia. I think for too long we have allowed

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