Significant quotes of 1998
“Our year long national gun amnesty and buy back scheme saw over 640,000 firearms surrendered for their genuine value totalling almost $315 million. All of those firearms with the very few exceptions for museum and police use were then destroyed. Taking such a strong stand was unpopular in some quarters but demonstrated the Government’s determination to fight crime.”
John Howard, Prime Minister
ICPO-Interpol 15th Asian Regional Conference, Rydges Hotel, Canberra, 17 February 1998
“We have discovered with our new information systems that we can make all the appropriate checks and ensure public safety is not dented in any way in a much shorter time frame.”
On 28-day waiting period.
Bob Carson, Queensland Gun Laws Project
The Courier Mail, Brisbane, 4 March 1998
“We have had a lot of people so far handing in their weapons and immediately wanting to replace them with another gun.”
Senior Sergeant Max Howard, OIC Northam Police
Northam Independent, West Australia, 11 March 1998
According to ABS figures, the number of people robbed at gunpoint in NSW rose from 827 in 1996 to 1252 in 1997.
Sunday Telegraph, Sydney, 14 March 1998
“I don’t think Australia went over the top at all.”
On the 1996 National Agreement on Gun Laws.
John Howard, Prime Minister
The West Australian, Perth, 21 March 1998
The present structure of the legislation, particularly s.10(6)(b) of the Weapons Act 1990, is in my opinion unduly restrictive, and can produce results which are unfair and unjust.”
McGill DCJ
‘Reasons for Judgement’ regarding Domestic Violence and the QLD Weapons Act, 20 May 1998
“These gun laws are very much the creation of the Prime Minister.”
Amanda Vanstone, Senator
The West Australian, Perth, 23 June 1998
“Our sources don’t know of any group of people trading in unlicenced firearms”
Steve Robbins, Supt WA Police Firearms
The West Australian, Perth, 4 July 1998
The editor of one of Britain’s leading medical journals has castigated the quality of scientific papers ...saying only 5% of published articles reached minimum standards of scientific soundness and clinical relevance.
Medical Observer UK, 24 July 1998
“However, there are also strong life-saving arguments for banning guns....we don’t introduce these measures partly because we are a democratic society which values individual freedom.”
Paul Wilson, criminologist
The Courier Mail, 9 September 1998
“Fundamentally, guns are designed to kill, and the practice which competitors at Commonwealth Games participate in, is just the same as normal target practice. This is aimed at making the shooters better equipped to kill some living thing.”
In a letter to the Australian Commonwealth Games Association, asking to ban shooting sports.
John Crook, President Gun Control Australia
21 September 1998
This (1998) election, with the ballots of 88.3 percent of Australia’s 12 million enrolled voters counted, John Howard is still 1,090,845 votes short of the sweeping victory that made him Prime Minister 31 months ago....the Howard Government had the dutiful distinction of having polled the worst Coalition primary vote since Menzies founded the Liberal Party more than half a century earlier.
Alan Ramsay, staff writer
Sydney Morning Herald, 14 October 1998
Crime involving guns has soared despite tougher laws imposed after the Port Arthur massacre...the number of robberies involving guns leapt 39% (ABS Report)...assaults involving guns jumped 28%.
Bond University criminologist Robyn Lincoln said the increased use of guns in crimes last year...was “because (criminals) knew the weapon was going to be withdrawn, they may have wanted to use their firearms before they lost the ‘privilege’,” she said. “Because the penalties are greater and getting tougher, criminals are more intent on being successful and therefore using bigger and better weapons”
‘Armed Crime on Rise’
The Sunday Mail, Brisbane, 18 October 1998
“These blokes all have smiles on their faces”
On Australian cricketers holding rifles whilst on tour in Pakistan.
Roland Browne, Chairman Gun Control
19 October 1998
Robbery with a firearm increased more than 13% in NSW during the gun buyback.
NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics
Sun Herald, 26 October 1998
Robbery with a firearm increased nearly 60 per cent over the previous financial year.
South Australian Police Annual Report tabled in State Parliament
27 October 1998
“This Government will not sponsor changes to the law based on knee-jerk reactions to isolated and unrepresentative incidents.”
Trevor Griffin, South Australia Attorney-General
Report to State Parliament, 28 October 1998
Crime involving guns is on the rise despite tougher laws. The number of robberies with guns jumped 39% in 1997 while assaults involving guns rose 28% and murders by 19%. (ABS figures)
‘Gun crime soars’
Sydney Morning Herald, 28 October 1998
The numbers of armed robberies which included a knife are now increasing at a much slower rate that those that involved a firearm.
Trevor Griffin, South Australia Attorney-General
The Advertiser, 5 November 1998
Queensland Police Commissioner Jim O’Sullivan yesterday expressed “grave concern” as the number of armed robberies across the state took a big jump for the second year running.
Sunshine Coast Daily, 13 November 1998
“The simple answer to your question is that the first part of your question has nothing to do with the second part of your question.”
“The firearms buyback scheme was an equity measure to compensate people who needed to surrender firearms as a result of the changed firearm laws.”
On how the buyback will reduce crime in Australia.
David Kelly, Senior Adviser Office of Deputy Prime Minister Fischer
16 December 1998
“Has the gun buyback scheme been a success? No: 973, Yes: 24”
“Murders by firearms have actually increased (in Victoria) since the buyback scheme which removed 225,000 registered and unregistered firearms from circulation. There were 18 shooting murders in 1996-97 after the buyback scheme had been introduced compared with only six in 1995-96 before the scheme started.”
‘Killing Rise in Gun Hunt’
Herald Sun, Melbourne, 23 December 1998
The spectra of suicide is hanging alarmingly over young Australians with new figures revealing youth suicide rates have increased more than 50% in some states.
ABS figures released 23 December 1998
The Australian, 24 December 1998
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