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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 11 Hansard (4 November) . . Page.. 3565 ..

MR HUMPHRIES (continuing):

Advertisements placed periodically in the local media had the desired effect of reminding firearms owners that their prohibited firearms were worth money but that the amnesty deadline was approaching. This culminated in a concerted effort on the Saturday before the amnesty concluded. Business was brisk in the Firearms Registry right up until 10.00 pm on Tuesday, 30 September. I would like to recognise the contribution of Canberra's media to that heightened public awareness.

With the end of the amnesty, some 174 registered prohibited firearms remained unsurrendered. The staff of the Firearms Registry have commenced the process of visiting individual owners and taking possession of those firearms which have not been surrendered. Of course, no compensation is payable for these firearms. I am advised, Madam Deputy Speaker, that a significant proportion, perhaps the vast majority, of those 174 firearms belong to owners who have since left the ACT. So, it is quite likely that a very small proportion of the illegal weapons which were registered, and possibly not a very large proportion of those which were not registered, remain in the community. I think it is true to say that the buyback has been a great success. Across the country, over 640,000 banned firearms have been removed from the community and over $304m paid in compensation from a total allocation by the Commonwealth of $500m. The Assembly has been and is still, I think, serious about removing these firearms from the community, and the penalties are severe for their unauthorised possession or use. By all accounts, the new firearms licensing provisions are proceeding smoothly, with firearms owners again demonstrating patience and cooperation in their dealings with the staff of the Firearms Registry. This has been a significant exercise for each jurisdiction and in terms of national coordination. It remains unparalleled in Australia's history.

It is unfortunate that a human tragedy of these proportions was the catalyst for this action, but this is often the case. A major and positive legacy of the Port Arthur massacre is a comprehensive national regulatory regime for firearms which is internationally acknowledged and is, in my view, a small but significant step towards making Australia safer. The Government will ensure that the ACT remains at the forefront of firearms control which maximises the safety of the community and recognises the right of responsible shooters to pursue their legitimate pastimes.

MADAM DEPUTY SPEAKER: Mr Speaker has received a letter from Mr Osborne proposing that a matter of public importance be submitted to the Assembly for discussion, namely:

The necessity to bring greater scrutiny to bear on COAG agreements, and in particular the national competition policy.

MR OSBORNE (4.43): I raise this matter because of a growing sense of disquiet about the increasing number of irreversible decisions coming out of the Council of Australian Governments. Those decisions are hammered out by the Prime Minister, Premiers and Chief Ministers and then delivered to parliaments around Australia as a fait accompli.

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