A Western Australia parliamentary motion by WA Nationals leader Shane Love to disallow the Firearms Regulations 2024 has failed to gain traction in the lower house, being voted down 37-13.
As promised during his election campaign, Mr Love presented a disallowance motion in parliament on Wednesday, 21 May, describing the Firearms Regulations 2024 as “represent[ing] the latest chapter in what can only be described as a chaotic and deeply disrespectful process of firearm reforms under the Cook Labor government”.
“These regulations are not sensible,” he said as part of his speech presenting the motion.
“Instead, we see them as punitive. They have been poorly communicated and, in many cases, they seem to be impossible to comply with.”
All other WA Nationals MPs – Beavan Eatts, Lachlan Hunter, Scott Leary, Peter Rundle, and Kirrilee Warr – also spoke in support of the motion, outlining the many valid concerns and issues raised by shooters, primary producers and doctors across the state regarding the Regulations.
Kalamunda LNP MP Adam Hort also spoke in support of the motion, drawing from his experience as a medico — including bering the chief pharmacist of the WA Country Health — and raised a number of concerns about the health assessment components of the Regulations.
He pointed out that, particularly in rural areas, there was a great deal of trust between a GP and patients, often built up over decades, and that when every medical appointment could potentially become a firearms licensing assessment, people were far less likely to open up about issues to their GP, ultimately harming not only the health of individuals, but “the very system that we rely on to keep the community safe”.
Mr Hort also spoke on the animal welfare concerns raised by the Regulations, including the unworkable red tape introduced as a result.
“The expectation that a licensee must record the information about euthanising an animal and keep it for a period of five years, including the address of where the shooting occurred, is simply an overreach,” he said.
“Let me be clear: that level of red tape might suit a bureaucrat in West Perth, but it bears no resemblance to the realities of regional or pastoral life.
“If a kangaroo is hit by a car on a country road and a trained volunteer or local landowner steps in to humanely end its suffering, they could technically be breaching the law if they do not log the activity and record the details of the ‘customer’.
“That is not public safety; that is highly unnecessary bureaucracy.”
Despite the articulate debate put forth by Mr Love, his fellow Nationals MPs and Mr Hort, when it came to voting on the motion, those against it overwhelmingly prevailed with 37 votes against the motion and 13 in favour.
Mr Love said while the motion had not succeeded, the Nationals were committed to “fighting for common sense”.
“These regulations are unworkable in practice and have created chaos and confusion for thousands of law-abiding firearms owners across WA,” he said.
“Thank you to the thousands who have called, emailed and spoken with me about the real-world impact of Labor’s flawed laws. Your stories matter.
“The Nationals WA will keep holding the Cook Government to account and demanding a system that prioritises public safety without punishing responsible firearm owners.”
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