Illegal Firearms

Mr ODENWALDER (Little Para) (14:56): My question is to the Attorney-General. Can the Attorney inform the house about a recent announcement regarding new laws to target people selling illegal firearms?

The Hon. J.R. RAU (Enfield—Deputy Premier, Attorney-General, Minister for Justice Reform, Minister for Planning, Minister for Housing and Urban Development, Minister for Industrial Relations) (14:56): I thank the honourable member for his question. Last Thursday, I made a commitment on behalf of the state government to introduce legislation to target people selling illegal firearms in South Australia. The need for reform in this area was highlighted by two tragic incidents, being the murder of Lewis McPherson on New Year's Eve 2012 and the murder of Graham Mieglich. The state government recently introduced new laws to ensure those who use firearms to commit crime face serious gaol time, and this proposed legislation builds on that.

This legislation will classify the selling of a firearm where one of the parties does not hold a licence as a serious firearms offence. This then triggers a series of things, including a presumption against a suspended sentence as well as a presumption against bail being granted to those charged with a serious firearms offence. Under the proposed new legislation, those who sell guns to those without a licence should expect to go straight to gaol and stay there. These tragic circumstances show there had previously been a loophole in law where traffickers in firearms had not been treated as severely as those who actually commit crimes using firearms. These laws close that circle and make the people who sell the firearms equally culpable as those people who use them to commit criminal offences.

I have spoken to Mr Mark McPherson, Lewis's father, on a number of occasions about this reform. Mr McPherson has been a strong advocate for this change. He has been a tireless campaigner for reform in this area and I applaud his integrity and courage to work with the government after suffering such a traumatic loss. The government wants to send a message to those people out in the community who might be thinking it is okay to go around selling firearms to people who don't have a legal entitlement to use firearms or have a firearm: they had better think again.

The introduction of these new laws will mean South Australia has some of the toughest firearms laws in the country. This proposed new law will send a very strong and, I hope, clear message: we do not and will not tolerate illegal guns in our community.