Don’t relax gun laws, MPs warned

CHILDREN’S Commissioner Leanne McLean has spoken of the positive cultural shift she noticed as a child in rural Tasmania after the introduction of the National Firearms Agreement.

In her first public appearance since being appointed to the role, Ms McLean warned a Lower House committee examining the state’s firearm laws against watering down existing rules, and encouraged examination of areas in the NFA where the state was non-compliant.

“The National Firearms Agreement was a very, very important cultural shift in Australia but in Tasmania specifically,” Ms McLean said.

“Not only am I generally cautious about liberalisation of access to firearms in the community, I’m also cautious about the message that would send culturally in the com- munity because we’ve certainly come a long, long way.

“In the best interests of children and young people I’d hate to see it slip backwards.”

Yesterday’s hearing was the first of two scheduled by the House of Assembly’s Select Committee on Firearms Legislation and Policy as it considers the state’s approach to gun laws. The establishment of the committee was prompted by a Liberal policy to change gun laws revealed the day before the state election in March.

The committee — made up of Liberal MHA Mark Shelton, Labor MHA Shane Broad and Greens MHA Rosalie Woodruff — yesterday heard from groups including the Sporting Shooters Association of Tasmania and Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Tasmania.

Alannah and Madeline Foundation representatives Stephen Bendle and Mark Warburton echoed Ms McLean’s calls against backing away from the National Firearms Agreement.

“While the [requirements of the firearms agreement] were contentious in 1996 and continue to be contentious to some, it’s certainly our contention it changed the gun culture in Australia,” Mr Bendle said.

“We certainly don’t have a culture of entitlement to guns and we all cringe at the gun culture we read about and see about in the United States.”

Liberal MHA Adam Brooks is also on the firearms committee but is on indefinite sick leave following an Integrity Commission investigation into his conduct.

Attempts this week to have him replaced by an unnamed Liberal were blocked by Labor and the Greens, who were concerned Rene Hidding, who had helped draft the policy changes, would take his place. The Government denied this was the plan but would not name the proposed replacement.