CARR GOVERNMENT SECRECY OVER FIREARMS
Firearms Secrecy
CARR GOVERNMENT SECRECY OVER FIREARMS
9th July 1999
Thomas George, Member for Lismore has supported the NSW National Party Leader, George
Souris, call on the Upper House Independents to support a National Party motion
to force the Carr Government to establish a Joint Select Parliamentary
Committee to conduct the Review of the Firearms Act
"It is vital a Joint Select Parliamentary Committee is established to review the
Act because that is the only way a comprehensive and thorough examination can
be achieved and witnesses can be provided with the protection of parliamentary
privilege.
The Review should look at the issues in appropriate detail and take wide public
comment so the problems with the Act can be pinpointed and rectified.
Our motion will also force the Government to empower the Committee to hold public
hearings, to take both written and oral submissions, to undertake scientific
research, and to make any recommendations to improve the operation of the
Firearms Act 1996.
Recent newspaper advertisements reveal that the Government's idea of conducting a
review into the firearms legislation is to call only for written submissions to
a Departmental Director-General - a bureaucrat in Sydney with little
understanding of rural and regional New South Wales.
The National Party believes that written submissions will not provide the necessary
public discussion on the matter and will not result in adequate consideration
of the problems with the Act.
Quite clearly, the Carr Government is trying to keep the Review of the Firearms Act
out of the public eye and as secret as possible.
The firearms legislation is a matter of enormous importance for tens of thousands
of people across the State and it should be given the attention it deserves.
That is why the National Party will be moving this motion in the Upper House so a
proper review of the Firearms Act can be undertaken" Mr Souris said.
