Legislative Council Fifty-First Parliament, Second Session (51-2) 51 2 Parliament of South Australia Legislative Council published Question Time Question Time Motorcycle Gangs MOTORCYCLE GANGS The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY Legislative Council Leader of the Opposition MOTORCYCLE GANGS The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Leader of the Opposition) (14:25): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Police a question about bikie gangs. Leave granted. The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY Legislative Council The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: On 23 June this year the minister was quoted in the Sunday Mail as saying: It's a well-known fact that guns and other weapons are key instruments of violence in bikie gang culture. That's why the government is fast-tracking a number of amendments to the Firearms Act. The article then went on to talk about a number of other potential amendments. I have had some discussions with a number of senior SAPOL officials, who have indicated that the amendments to the Firearms Act that the minister spoke about on 23 June were as a result of an urgent request by senior police; in fact, senior police say that the changes are virtually the only way to counter the bikies' current tactics. They said, 'Time and time again we have put them before the court and they have been acquitted because of the way the existing legislation is framed.' Today I have a triple-head press release from the Premier, the minister and the Attorney-General (and I suspect it is also in the ministerial statement tabled by the minister here today and made by the Premier) entitled 'Disrupting and dismantling bikie gangs', but unfortunately there is no mention of the amendments to the Firearms Act. In fact, I am advised that cabinet actually threw out those amendments last week. My questions are: 1.	Why has the government done a backflip on its commitment to fast-track the amendments to the Firearms Act? 2.	Which month next year will the South Australian public see the promised amendments come into place? The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY Legislative Council Minister for Police, Minister for Mineral Resources Development, Minister for Urban Development and Planning The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY (Minister for Police, Minister for Mineral Resources Development, Minister for Urban Development and Planning) (14:26): There are a lot of inaccuracies there. First, cabinet did not throw out the amendments to the act. Some minor tweaking is needed in the current firearms bill, and that will shortly go back to cabinet again. That tweaking really has nothing to do with the key part of this bill dealing with bikies—that is, the section on firearms prohibition orders. However, in some of the changes there is a need to address issues in relation to mental illness, and there has to be a little more consultation—which the honourable member is always telling us we should do more of. In fact, he was just telling us that yesterday. The legislation has been given a high priority by the government and it has been drafted. As I have said, it just needs some minor tweaking and I expect it will be finalised very soon. Along with the major pieces of legislation announced by the Premier today that will be introduced into the house, I will send to members copies of the changes to the Firearms Act so that they can be debated in 2008, along with the changes that have been announced today by the Premier. The government does give a high priority to changes to the Firearms Act. We could have introduced them this week, but they would not be debated or passed by parliament. So, it is far better that we do the minor tweaking— The Hon. D.W. Ridgway interjecting: The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY Legislative Council The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: You did not listen, did you? In fact, there has been major consultation. A number of the firearms groups have already made comments and, by and large, they have been supportive, because I think that responsible firearms' owners within this state understand that it is in their interest to ensure that those committing criminal acts, and those who have the potential to misuse firearms, do not have them. Generally, legitimate users of firearms are very supportive of the direction in which the government is moving. As I said, some minor tweaking is to be done in relation to one part, and I will circulate those amendments to members during the coming recess. I am sure that they will be ready to be debated here early in 2008, along with the other very important changes announced by the Premier today.