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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 8 Hansard (25 June) . . Page.. 2059 ..

MR MOORE (continuing):

I used firearms. I used them in my army service and, like Mr Kaine, have used probably a full range of weapons. I have also used weapons for hunting. I see absolutely no reason whatsoever for someone to require a semiautomatic weapon in Australia, let alone an automatic weapon.

What happens through this gun lobby is that we get, as often happens, a twist of the truth, a twist of the process, and it is often driven by people whose motives are not just about guns but are much broader. Indeed, Mr Speaker, I would like to quote from a letter that I got, and I presume other members got, from a Mr Tony Pitt who identifies himself as the National Chairman of The Australians. Surprise, surprise, it comes from Maryborough in Queensland, which seems to be the stomping ground of such people. Rather than give him the credit - I will not read through the letter, having identified him - I will just say that what underlies everything that he says is racism. It is the fear of the Asians. I will just quote little bits. The letter that he dated 14 May 1996 and that I received on 19 June has some of the most appalling statements in it that I have seen, such as:

People who have seen Asians in action have a fair idea how stupid and naive you and your mates are.

He is talking about we politicians. He describes the sorts of things that he says Asians do. He wrote:

... I suggest that you and your ... mates take a holiday in West New Guinea and then a holiday in Indonesia, not as politicians, not as Koala Bears - protected species, but as ordinary people. Don't confine yourself to the hotel in the tourist resort. Get out and see what the real world of Asia is like.

Then he describes an atrocity and implies that in some way this would be a result of the gun laws. The letter was addressed originally to Mr Russell Cooper, the Queensland Minister for Police.

Mr Speaker, I seek leave to table the letters I have because there may be a time when people who research this issue want to come back and see the real driving force behind this gun lobby instead of recognising the very sensible measure of taking what action we can to remove automatic and semiautomatic rifles or at least reduce their number.

Leave granted.

MR MOORE: Thank you, members. Mr Speaker, I say that it is a sensible measure, but no doubt there will be some form of black market that operates. I think we can expect at this stage to see such rifles identified. We already know that lots of people who have semiautomatic weapons and automatic weapons are lining up to hand them in. The fewer of these weapons that there are in the community, the better off we are. I think that in itself is a strong enough argument for us to support the ministerial agreement and to encourage our political colleagues in other States to follow the same sort of action that we have already carried through in Canberra.

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