Australian Democrats statement

ASJ Special Edition: Federal Election 2007

November 2007

The Australian Democrats’ policies are formulated by a ballot of party members. The Democrats do not have a balloted policy regarding firearms; however, our policy on firearms is summarised below.

The Democrats advocate a comprehensive approach to firearm regulation to reduce the number of crimes involving firearms in Australia.

The Democrats 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 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.

The Democrats consider that further reform of firearms laws is 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.

The Democrats are concerned that a lack of credible research and statistical data means that it is unclear whether the Federal Government’s 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.

Available research tends to send mixed signals. In April this year, an Australian National University study claimed gun laws led to about 35 fewer murders and 247 fewer suicides annually since 1997. However, an earlier study in the British Journal of Criminology claimed firearms agreements had no effect on death rates. NSW and Queensland both reported in 2007 that they failed to dent the gun tally, with gun ownership continuing to climb.

Notwithstanding, several incidents involving firearms this year suggest that continued efforts at gun control are warranted. Examples include a schoolgirl from Ballarat’s Loreto College making threatening remarks on a website; two students accused of plotting a high school massacre in southern NSW; and two Victorian school boys foolishly taking two sawn-off guns and ammunition to a school camp for rabbit shooting.

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:

1. 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
2. The examination of new technologies to enhance gun safety, including the mandatory fitting of child proof locks on firearms
3. Revising customs and import laws in relation to firearms
4. Comprehensive policing of firearm storage requirements
5. Broadening the current ban on automatic and semi-automatic firearms, and
6. Implementation of a National Firearms Management System, including a national ballistics intelligence database

The Democrats consider this represents a responsible approach to firearm regulation, which emphasises community safety, but which does not unduly infringe upon the rights of licensed firearms owners.