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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-02-16 Daily Xml
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FIREARMS PROHIBITION ORDERS

Mrs REDMOND (Heysen—Leader of the Opposition) (14:15): My question is to the Minister for Police. Will the minister advise whether any firearms prohibition orders have been sought under the existing firearms legislation against Vince Focarelli, Michael Syfris, Dylan Jessen or Danny Papadopoulos to ban them from carrying guns and, if not, why not?

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE (Wright—Minister for Police, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Road Safety, Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (14:15): I thank the Leader of the Opposition for her question about the firearms prohibition orders. We know that there have been assertions made by members of the opposition that the police have not been actively using this provision, and I can tell the house—in fact I am pleased to tell the house—that since we introduced the firearms prohibition orders, 60 have been issued by the Registrar of Firearms.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Is there a point of order? Minister, can you sit down. What is the point of order?

Mrs REDMOND: The point of order is relevance. The question was specifically about four people who are known members of outlaw motorcycle gangs and whether prohibition orders have been issued against them.

The SPEAKER: Sit down. I do not uphold that point of order. The minister has just started to answer her question.

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: Thank you, Madam Speaker. Twenty-three of the 44 current police-issued orders are against known outlaw motorcycle gang members. The courts have also issued a further nine orders with varying conditions and I understand that another 15 applications are currently under consideration by the police. Contrary to comments by the President of the Law Society that these orders are not used—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: —in response to mental health concerns, I also want to reassure the house that in fact that is not the case. Doctors make separate notifications under section 27 of the Firearms Act, and I am advised that SAPOL acts on around 800—

The SPEAKER: Point of order! The member for MacKillop.

Mr WILLIAMS: The minister's answer bears no relevance to the question. The question was specific to four named people, and the minister is failing to—

The SPEAKER: Thank you. You have made your point. Sit down. The question related to prohibition orders and the minister is answering that.

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: That is right, Madam Speaker, outlaw bikies, but SAPOL acts on around 800 orders in relation to people who have mental health concerns. The police have reassured me and said on numerous occasions that the firearms protection orders provide them with extraordinary powers to stop—

Ms Chapman: Why don't they use them?

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: Here we have once again, Madam Speaker—why aren't they using them? 'Why don't they use them?' Again, they attack the police. The police have extraordinary powers.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Minister, can you sit down.

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Norwood, you are warned. The member for Norwood and the member for Bragg are like never-ending records.

An honourable member: Music to our ears!

The SPEAKER: Order!

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Aided and abetted by the Leader of the Opposition.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! A continual barrage comes from my left. Minister, would you like to finish your answer?

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: These are extraordinary powers to stop, search and seize and they are reserved for those people where there is a significant link between firearms and criminal behaviour.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: SAPOL has conducted a full internal review of the firearms protection orders in early 2011 to ensure that administrative law had been and will continue—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: —to be applied correctly and professionally.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: They constantly attack. It's not me. It's the police they are attacking. The shadow attorney-general who criticised the low usage of intelligence is the same shadow attorney-general who has blocked legislation to expand the use of—

The SPEAKER: Order! Point of order, member for MacKillop.

Mr WILLIAMS: Not only has the minister failed miserably to address the substance of the question, she is now debating the answer.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Minister, have you finished your answer or have you got some more?

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: As I said, there are 23 firearms protection orders against known bikies.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

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