The Prime Minister and Handguns
Australian House of Representatives Hansard
13 May 1997
(Question No. 1686)
Mrs Crosio asked the Prime Minister, upon notice, on 13 May 1997:
Do the uniform national gun laws established in 1996 affect the sale, ownership and use of automatic pistols and hand-guns; if so how; if not, will he initiate talks with State and Territory leaders to establish tougher new laws covering the sale, ownership and use of automatic pistols and hand-guns similar to the laws brought in by the British Government following the Dunblane school massacre; if not, why not.
Mr Howard--The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:
Handguns have been very tightly regulated in Australia since the 1920s. Their ease of concealment and potential for misuse in criminal activity or accidents has led to the general acceptance that they should be subject to the most stringent controls. Consequently all Australian jurisdictions have required handguns to be registered and owners to be licensed.
Tests for private access to handguns are so tight in every jurisdiction that, with very few exceptions, they can only be used for the provision of professional security services and competition target shooting.
The Nationwide Agreement on Firearms, agreed by all Australian governments on 10 May 1996, places the toughest possible controls on the possession, use, sale, resale and transfer of all firearms, including handguns.
Applicants for handgun licences must prove both a "genuine reason" for owning, possessing or using a handgun as well as a "genuine need' for that particular firearm. Applicants must also obtain a permit to acquire a handgun, which is subject to a waiting period of at least 28 days to enable appro priate checks on the applicant by the licensing/registration authorities.
The 1996 Agreement also agreed on minimum standards for the security and storage of handguns. These require that handguns be stored in a locked, steel safe with a thickness to ensure it is not easily penetrable, bolted to the structure of a building, and all ammunition must be stored in locked containers separate from any firearms. Sales of firearms, including by mail order, must be conducted only by or through licensed firearms dealers. Mail order sales of handguns must be in accordance with prescribed safety requirements.
Most of the measures in the 1996 Agreement have been implemented by State and Territory governments. However, the Commonwealth Government has also taken steps to control the availability of certain handguns by amending the Customs (Prohibited Imports) Regulations to include as prohibited items any handguns that have a fully automatic firing capability or resemble a sub-machine gun, machine pistol or soft air handgun.
The Government does not have current plans to re-examine these stringent controls on the possession, use and sale of handguns, but in line with all firearms issues, there will be careful continuing monitoring.
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