Fresh shots in gunfight
Abbott gets both barrels over ‘quiet deal’
THE Abbott-Turnbull row continues, with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull implying his predecessor made a captain’s call to include a 12month sunset clause on the rapid-fire, lever-action shotgun import ban.
The gun debate is also set to continue, as the states and territories were unable to reach a unanimous verdict on how to classify the weapon, which means the temporary ban remains in place.
Simmering tensions boiled over this week when the current and former Prime Minis- ters engaged in a de facto duel on the floor of Parliament over the gun laws and whether there had been any horsetrading with crossbencher David Leyonhjelm.
Mr Turnbull continued the blue yesterday when he said the inclusion of the sunset clause in the temporary ban was not taken to Cabinet last year when Mr Abbott was Prime Minister.
“It wasn’t a decision of the Abbott Cabinet,” he said. “I ensured that the extension of the ban that was made by my gov- ernment was a decision of the Cabinet.”
Mr Turnbull earlier openly contradicted claims made by Mr Abbott that his office, when he was PM, was unaware of the deal, leading Mr Abbott claiming he had been “most grievously” misrepresented.
The Prime Minister and his predecessor also face another proxy showdown today as the NSW Liberal Party conference meets to discuss changes to preselection within the party.
Meanwhile, State and Federal Justice and Police Minis- ters gathered in Melbourne to discuss whether to reclassify the Adler seven-shot shotgun, which sparked the debate, or to maintain the ban.
Federal Justice Minister Michael Keenan said while there had been a majority view among ministers, it was not the unanimous verdict required to reclassify the weapon. The temporary ban will remain until consensus is reached.
NSW is understood to be the only state opposed to strengthening the seven-shot, lever-action shotgun’s classifi- cation. Under the Howard Government laws, the shotgun is legal and classified in the weakest category.
The temporary ban was put in place last year when police raised concerns about a shipment of 7000 rapid-fire Adler shotguns headed to Australia, giving the state and federal governments a chance to consider reclassifying the weapon to a tougher category.
Senator Leyonhjelm praised NSW for taking a different stance to the other states, saying the police minis- ters had reacted to the shotgun in an “emotional” way rather than to use common sense.
“What it’s highlighted is Australia has a very immature attitude to guns,” he said.
Senator Leyonhjelm said he suspected Mr Keenan wanted to ban the shotgun altogether and would not have a problem with the states taking their time with its reclassification.
He said any amnesty would have no impact on crime.
“I’m very confident the only guns that will be surrendered during an amnesty will be ones where people have acquired them as a consequence of somebody dying.”