Opposition Leader Josh Willie says Labor will move its firearm cap amendments again when the bill reaches the Legislative Council.
The cap failed in the House of Assembly 16 votes to 15 last night after George Razay, the last crossbench MP to declare, told the chamber he could not support it.
Razay was in tears as he delivered his decision shortly before 5:30pm.
Labor MP Brian Mitchell rose immediately afterwards, naming Razay and taking aim at his decision, suggesting he supported “unlimited guns in Tasmania”.
Premier Jeremy Rockliff was seen comforting Razay shortly after Mitchell’s outburst, before walking him out of the chamber.
“The premier was checking if Dr Razay was OK after the vitriolic attack from Labor’s Brian Mitchell,” a government spokesperson said.
But today, Willie refused to back away from Mitchell’s comments toward Razay, saying the Labor MP had held another member to account, “which is exactly what the Liberal Party MPs do every day in that chamber”.
“And now they’ve suddenly got a problem,” he said.
“I don’t think Brian said anything that was disrespectful and I’d ask people to point to me what was.”
Government minister Bridget Archer today said most of the debate had been respectful, but Razay faced a personal pile-on after a difficult and emotional speech.
“This was not an example of respect for another member and it really did stray into bullying in my view,” she said.
Archer said debate was not necessarily about holding an individual member to account, but “a contest on the ideas that are being put forward”.
“These are the things that stop people, good people, wanting to stand for political office,” she said. “It’s the people’s house.”
She said she hoped Willie would remind his members there was no place for personal attacks and that Mitchell had an opportunity to reflect and “make that right” with Razay.
Gun Control Australia vice president Roland Browne said Mitchell “made some good points” about a medical practitioner opposing caps, but there was “no reason to single him out”.
He said every member who opposed caps should be singled out instead, including Police Minister Felix Ellis, who he said had “let down his own police commissioner”.
Browne said campaigners would now brief upper house members on the evidence.
The Alannah & Madeline Foundation said a “handful of crossbenchers” had sided with the government against the advice of the police commissioner, family violence advocates and public health experts.
“This parliament has failed the next generation of Tasmanians,” senior advocacy adviser Stephen Bendle said.
“It is hard to understand why the government would seek advice on the best way forward, receive a direct recommendation from the Police Commissioner to introduce a cap and then ignore it.”
Willie said crossbenchers who opposed the cap would get another chance if the upper house took a different view.
The bill could reach the Legislative Council in late October.
