Gunnedah Shire’s representative in state parliament, Member for Tamworth Kevin Anderson has voiced deep concerns with the government’s amendments to the Firearms Act.
Mr Anderson was among many state politicians who returned to Macquarie Street for an urgent sitting of parliament following the Bondi Beach terrorist attack.
The incident resulted in the death of 15 victims and dozens of injuries.
Mr Anderson supported strong action on hate speech, however, said the firearms changes punished the 8665 registered firearms owners in his electorate.
“New South Wales has the strictest gun laws in Australia. That is why the Coalition supports strong action against hate speech, extremist ideology and the public display of Nazi and terrorist symbols. We have called for tougher laws in this space for many months,” Mr Anderson told parliament.
“The Coalition offered a bipartisan approach to responding to this horrific attack. Unfortunately, the Labor government has instead chosen to make announcements through the media and decline offers to brief the Opposition. It has left members and communities in the dark about what these reforms look like.
“Regional stakeholders have not been consulted. One phone call late yesterday was the only consultation regional stakeholders like the NSW Farmers Association, the Sporting Shooters’ Association of Australia and the Country Mayors Association of NSW received.
“The bill is rushed and confused. Much of it relies on regulation that the parliament is in the dark about with regard to proper impacts.”
Mr Anderson said the reforms were drafted without any consideration for communities or any consultation with community members, including farmers, primary producers, business owners, recreational hunters, professional shooters and sporting shooters—stakeholders affected by this legislation.
“Throughout regional New South Wales, thousands of licensed, law-abiding firearms owners lives and livelihoods are affected by this legislation. They are everyday Australians, mums and dads who will be punished because of the terrible actions of these terrorists. Through no fault of their own, their lives, livelihoods, and passions will be taken from them without consultation, proper consideration or a democratic process,” he said.
“In the Tamworth electorate, there are more than 8,665 registered firearms owners. Why punish them? Why go after their legal right to own a firearm after someone picked up a firearm and committed an act of atrocity? They were not responsible for the horrors that occurred in Bondi last Sunday. Firearms are tools of the trade for farmers and primary producers who work hand in hand to manage land across New South Wales.
“My office has received hundreds of emails, calls and visits over the past week from constituents expressing their views on how this bill and process should be run. Legal firearms owners are horrified that this government is painting them with the same brush as terrorists. This government has labelled them as such, and legal firearms owners are deeply concerned about the impact of these reforms.
“The bill is rushed, ill-considered and not evidence based. As the executive council of Australian Jewry says, ‘We don’t have a gun problem; we have an antisemitism problem’.”
Mr Anderson and his National Party colleagues were united in opposing the changes alongside some members of the cross-bench. However, the changes passed through parliament with broad support from Labor and Liberal MPs.
