Australian Democrats election statement
The Australian Democrats’ policies are formulated by a ballot of party members. The Democrats do not have a balloted policy regarding firearms; however, our position on firearms is summarised below.
The Australian Democrats support a responsible approach to firearm regulation, which emphasises community safety, but which does not unduly infringe upon the rights of licensed firearms owners.
The Democrats acknowledge that clay target (Trap) shooting and pistol shooting are responsible Olympic sports and are well policed and managed by their governing bodies.
We support a comprehensive approach to firearm regulation to reduce the number of crimes involving firearms in Australia. We acknowledge that the majority of crimes involving firearms are committed by individuals who are not licensed gun owners.
However, examples such as the Monash University shootings in 2002 show that this is not always the case. Moreover, research suggests that theft from licensed owners sustains the illegal trade in firearms.
For these reasons, the Australian Democrats advocate a general reduction in the number of firearms within Australia, but with a particular emphasis on guns in the hands of unlicensed owners.
We believe the laws introduced in 1997 [sic] have been effective in improving public safety and responsible firearms ownership. However, the research tends to send mixed signals as to whether or not the 1997 National Firearms Agreement and gun buy-back scheme has achieved its fundamental objective: to limit the number of guns in circulation in order to reduce the use of firearms in fatal accidents and violent crime.
So, further reform of firearms laws may be required to reduce the number of guns in circulation in Australia. However, such reform must be based on credible research regarding the efficacy of previous reforms and existing firearms control laws.
Accordingly, the Democrats support further initiatives to reduce the potential misuse of guns in the commission of crimes or other events, particularly in relation to young people. Such initiatives could include:
- Returning firearms reform to the Agenda of the Standing Committee for Attorney-Generals and Australian Police Ministers Council, which would enable work on a scoping audit to ensure each state is complying with the spirit of the 1997 Firearms Agreement
- The examination of new technologies to enhance gun safety, including the mandatory fitting of childproof locks on firearms
- Revising customs and import laws in relation to firearms
- Comprehensive policing of firearm storage requirements
- Broadening the current ban on automatic and semi-automatic firearms, and
- Implementation of a National Firearms Management System, including a national ballistics intelligence database
The Australian Democrats would work and discuss with stakeholders to determine the best approach to sensible firearms laws.
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