Facts about Labor’s Firearms Fiasco
If elected, a Mettam Liberal Government is committed to referring the rushed and flawed Firearms Act 2024 to a specialist legislation committee for community consultation and improvement.
This aligns with the motion I tabled in the Legislative Council on 13 August 2024, calling for the Standing Committee on Legislation to conduct a thorough review of the Act.
Throughout the debate on this legislation, responsible firearm owners and their families consistently called for consultation and reasonableness.
The Cook Labor Government responded with arrogance, guillotining debate time in the Upper House, cutting off discussion, and forcing a vote without allowing the bill the thorough consideration it deserved.
This move effectively shut down any chance for a thorough examination of the bill.
It is premature for a parliamentary chamber in a modern democracy to be taking a vote when there has not been an opportunity to examine all clauses in the proposed new law.
That’s why when the final vote was cast - I left the chamber in disgust.
As I outlined in my final speech, I distance myself entirely from this law-making debacle which saw only 11 clauses out of 492 in this gigantic Bill examined.
The Cook Labor Government's actions during the 41st Parliament have amounted to reckless lawmaking and, quite frankly, are a slap in the face to all who value genuine debate and thorough scrutiny.
It is time we return to sensible and responsible lawmaking.
Let us remind ourselves of the fiasco surrounding this legislation.
In late 2023, public “consultation” was arrogantly limited by the Cook Labor Government to just one month, despite over 12,500 West Aussies reasonably requesting to extend this to three months.
On 28 May 2024, WA Labor arrogantly used its numbers to defeat the Opposition’s motion to send the Firearms Bill 2024 for a full public parliamentary inquiry despite over 32,000 West Aussies respectfully requesting that this be supported.
On 11 June 2024, Labor’s Deputy Leader in the Legislative Council arrogantly declared the Bill “urgent” a mere one day after the Government gave notice of further amendments to its own Bill.
On 18 June 2024, the WA Labor Government arrogantly bulldozed the gigantic Bill through Parliament’s upper house with more than 480 clauses rammed through without one word of debate or question able to be asked.
On 27 June 2024, the Firearms Act 2024 received Royal Assent from the Governor, with substantial portions of the Act still awaiting commencement on a date to be fixed by proclamation.
In September 2024, the State Administrative Tribunal ruled that WA Police had been acting prematurely by issuing disqualification letters without the legal authority to do so, as key provisions of the Firearms Act 2024 had not yet come into effect.
On 21 December 2024, just before Christmas:
the commencement date for the remaining provisions of the Firearms Act 2024 was proclaimed. As a result, this flawed legislation will be fully in force from 31 March 2025.
over 300 pages of regulations made under the Act were published.
It appears that even the regulations were flawed, as on 5 February 2025, just over a month later, they were amended.
There is no doubt that the passage of the Firearms Bill 2024 by the Cook Labor Government was one of the worst episodes of legislative bulldozing on record.
Sensible firearms reform should be about creating a regulatory framework that enhances public safety, that focuses its attention on those who flout the law by using unlicensed firearms, and that respects those with a history of responsible citizenship.
Effective reform should:
Not allow those who have been convicted of murder overseas to hold a firearms licence – which Labor’s new “urgent” law will not prohibit.
Not allow those who have committed crimes disqualifying them from obtaining a Working with Children Card to obtain a firearms licence – which Labor’s new “urgent” law will not prohibit.
If the Cook Labor Government were competent and serious about public safety, they would have passed the opposition’s amendments to fix these legislative loopholes.
The way this legislation was rushed through, bypassing proper consultation and scrutiny, was a blatant disregard for democratic principles, and it has not gone unchallenged.
Parliament was prorogued in November 2024, 3 months after the Cook Labor Government refused to support my motion.
It is anticipated that Parliament will resume in May 2025, with the newly elected composition of the Upper House following the 2025 State Election not sitting until 22 May 2025.
Following this, I am committed to giving notice of the same motion once again.
For more information:
You can access the fair and reasonable request of the record-breaking number of petitioners here.
You can read my speech urging for the referral motion to be supported here (pp 6-13).
You can read my second reading speech on the Firearms Bill 2024 here.
You can read my third reading speech on the Firearms Bill 2024 here.