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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1999 Week 3 Hansard (25 March) . . Page.. 822 ..

MR SPEAKER: Before I call Mr Humphries, I would like to recognise the presence in the gallery of students of Year 6, Garran Primary School. Welcome to your Assembly.

MR HUMPHRIES (Attorney-General, Minister for Justice and Community Safety and Minister Assisting the Treasurer) (11.18): I present the Firearms (Amendment) Bill 1999, together with its explanatory memorandum.

Title read by Clerk.

MR HUMPHRIES: I move:

That this Bill be agreed to in principle.

The proposed amendments to the Firearms Act 1996 will enable the ACT to host clay target shooting competitions involving interstate and international competitors in the lead-up to the Sydney Olympics without those competitors offending against the Act for failing to hold an ACT firearms licence or permit to possess or use a firearm. In particular, the Firearms (Amendment) Bill gives full effect to an Australasian Police Ministers Council (APMC) resolution, made on 17 November 1998, to endorse a uniform approach for the recognition of temporary interstate and international visitors visiting jurisdictions for competitive target shooting purposes.

The Bill will amend the Firearms Act and the Firearms Regulations to enable recognition of interstate category C firearms licences and international temporary visitor permits issued in a State or another Territory for competitive target shooting. Recognition of interstate category C firearms licences for competitive shooting purposes will only be provided where the interstate licence holder meets the requirements of the ACT Act and the regulations for the issue of the equivalent ACT licence. The amendments will streamline current approval processes for temporary visitors engaging in competitive target shooting between jurisdictions.

The recognition provided by this Bill, once enacted, of either a firearms licence or an international temporary visitor permit authorising the possession or use of a firearm for shooting competition purposes issued by a State or another Territory will be contingent upon the visitor's compliance with any conditions or requirements prescribed by the firearms regulations for the possession or use of the firearm. In accordance with the APMC resolution, the period of recognition provided by this Bill of a firearms licence or an international temporary visitor permit issued by a State or another Territory will be limited to three months, commencing on the day on which the visitor arrives in the Territory for the purpose of participating in the competition or, for an international visitor, whichever is the earlier of this period or the expiry date of the international temporary visitor permit.

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