Question Time

FIREARMS AMNESTY

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Leader of the Opposition) (14:22): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Urban Development and Planning, representing the Minister for Police, a question about the gun amnesty.

Leave granted.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: Yesterday, the Minister for Police released a statement championing the great work that had been done with the gun amnesty and saying that some 1,144 firearms had been handed in during the amnesty. Members would be aware that, if that number of guns has been handed in, clearly there are a large number of illegal guns in our community; in fact, of the 200 or so guns that are stolen each year, only about 3 per cent are ever recovered by the police.

Already in the first two months of this year we have seen 10 violent aggravated robberies involving firearms. My question to the Minister for Police is: how many of the 1,144 firearms that were handed in were handed in by known criminals or members of outlaw motorcycle gangs?

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY (Minister for Mineral Resources Development, Minister for Urban Development and Planning, Minister for Small Business) (14:23): It is not usually the habit of known members of outlaw gangs to hand in their guns but, of course, in any case when you have a gun amnesty it is not necessarily going to be recorded. People will not necessarily go into the police station and say, 'I'm a member of the (such and such) outlaw motorcycle gang.'

What is important is that this parliament has in recent years passed some new firearm laws that will enable the firearm prohibition orders to be introduced. That is a significant advance on previous firearms legislation and will help keep firearms out of the hands of those people who should not have them.

What will be important is that, under that new legislation—which was passed through this parliament, and I am pleased that (I think) all members supported it—members of motorcycle gangs, if they have criminal records and the like, will be subject to one of these prohibition orders. That will greatly enable the police to deal with the illegal firearms issue. A firearms amnesty is something that the police commissioner offers from time to time, and it is a very sensible way of trying to remove as many unregistered firearms from the community as possible. The fewer unregistered or illegal firearms in the community, the fewer can be stolen and used for criminal purposes. So, in itself, it is a very worthwhile exercise.

In terms of dealing with crime, an amnesty is just one small part of a much wider range of measures taken by this government. In particular, firearms prohibition orders is an area where I think this state will lead the rest of Australia in relation to the measures we take.

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: Well, which other state has an equivalent to firearm prohibition orders to keep firearms out of the hands of people who should not have them? I will refer the honourable member's question to my colleague in another place.