The announcement by the Labor Federal and NSW state governments that they have reached an agreement on a NSW gun buyback scheme has absolutely confirmed the lack of knowledge and care these governments have for law-abiding gun owners across the country.
The scheme adds insult to injury for the close to one million Australians who own firearms for work, for their farms, for strictly regulated sport, or because it is their family business.
Since these governments took the easy way out in January and blamed law-abiding gun owners across the country for the heinous acts of two terrorists at Bondi, people have been faced with confusion about these new laws.
Farmers don’t know which firearms they can keep – are they allowed to keep an heirloom firearm passed down through generations? And what do they do with the ones they suspect they cannot keep? Sporting shooters have been left in confusion about ammunition, firearm accessories, firearms in certain value ranges and host of other issues.
Firearm shop owners have lost business. Not just a fraction, but almost their entire business – with a decrease in gun sales of up to 90 percent and stock they are now stuck with. Now NSW firearm shop owners are being told compensation will be capped at $25,000.
Without consultation and without consideration, these new state and federal laws are causing concerns every day to ordinary Australians.
And now they are being hit with a buyback scheme that does not fairly compensate them for their firearms, ammunition and accessories.
Firearms are not a luxury for those who use them responsibly. They help keep pest populations under control, are used for humane euthanasia of animals and livestock defence.
The Nationals are the only party that are walking the walk and fighting the new reforms with legislation. We have introduced legislation in Parliament to repeal the unfair federal laws.
The Bill would reverse the federal laws and restore gun laws to the already comprehensive regulations in place before January.
More than 71,000 Australians signed a petition protesting the gun reforms. Our former tough gun laws walked a fair line between rights and protection for our country. It has clearly been stated that the new regulations would not have prevented the Bondi terrorist attack.
These laws need to be repealed.
I would also like to talk about the Nationals Conference held this month where we find practical ways forward to address the problems our country is facing.
After debate, we passed motions to lower taxes to support families struggling with the cost of living. We voted for cheaper energy, for fuel reserves, for developing our own resources such as oil, coal, gas and nuclear to ensure Australia can stand on its own two feet using its own resources.
We passed motions to bring down out-of-control migration and to cap student visas.
We passed motions to support the Inland Rail – so important to our communities in the electorate of Parkes where people and businesses have been preparing for this project for so many years.
We voted to support farmers with better health services, and we passed a motion to support the close to one million law-abiding gun owners in our country who had nothing to do with the act of two terrorists at Bondi.
All Australians are feeling the pinch of rocketing prices and dwindling support, but in regional Australia and in the electorate of Parkes, our communities are facing all of this plus the cutting back of services and infrastructure.