[Greens-Media] Labor-Shooters Party deals weaken gun laws, put public safety at risk

Lee Rhiannon Lee.Rhiannon at parliament.nsw.gov.au
Sun Dec 14 10:37:22 EST 2008


MEDIA RELEASE
14 December 2008


Labor-Shooters Party deals weaken gun laws, put public safety at risk


Greens MP Lee Rhiannon rejected comments today from Police Minister Tony Kelly that NSW has the toughest gun laws in Australia and called on Premier Nathan Rees to break the deal making in the NSW Upper House between Shooter Party and Labor MPs. 

"The NSW Labor government has been helping the Shooters Party loosen gun control
laws in a game of 'you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours'," Ms Rhiannon said. 

"The vote of the two Shooters Upper House MPs is often critical for the government winning the numbers to pass their unpopular legislation.

"The government's pro-developer planning laws and the legislation on the V8 super car race at Olympic Park would not have gone through without the support of the Shooters MPs. They are now exploiting their pivotal role. 

"These developments bring us closer to US style politics where MPs are behoven to the gun lobby and unwilling to speak out against it.

"The weak gun laws put up by the Shooters and backed by Labor and the Coalition make it easier for men on domestic violence orders to have their weapons returned and it is easier for gun owners to have multiple firearms.

"Premier Rees needs to recognise that his government is responsible for unravelling the national uniform gun laws developed after the Port Arthur massacre. These changes will see more high-powered guns in the community.

"Other changes to the gun laws proposed by the Shooters and backed by Labor and the Coalition allow unlicensed people to access and use guns at shooting clubs, removes waiting times for licensed owners buying additional guns and weakens penalties for breaches of the Firearms Act.

"There are now more guns in circulation. Every year since 2004 about 10,000 new firearms have been registered each year. 

"Premier Rees needs to tighten up gun laws and stop agreeing to Shooters Party demands. Otherwise there will be more gun-related accidents, murders and suicides," Ms Rhiannon said.


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