Tasmanian gun owners and control advocates have clashed over possible national firearms reforms following Sunday night’s Bondi terror attack that killed 15 people, including a 10-year-old girl.
Gun Control Australia Vice President Roland Browne, who lives in Hobart, has called for an immediate ban on firearms access for under-18s and the abolishment of recreational hunting licences.
“The National Firearms Agreement made no provision for people to have use or ownership of a gun under the age of 18,” Browne, who led gun control efforts after the 1996 Port Arthur massacre, told Local Radio today.
“Yet, extraordinarily, kids in Australia down to the ages of 10 or 12 can use guns. And time’s passed that by because children under 16 can’t even use Facebook anymore in this country.”
“You can’t join the army and learn to use a gun until you’re 18. It should be the same for civilian use and possession of firearms.”
Browne said only farmers, collectors, target shooters and those involved in animal population control should hold licences.
He singled out recreational hunting as “ambiguous” and called for professional shooters to control Tasmania’s deer population instead of hunters.
“Duck shooting’s been banned in other states in Australia. It’s well past time for it to be banned in Tasmania,” he said.
“It’s just another area of shooting animals for recreation. We’re past that. We must have evolved as a community to be past that.”
Tasmania’s Shooters, Fishers and Farmers party has hit back, saying Mr Browne’s claims misrepresent current laws and unfairly target law-abiding firearms owners.
Party MP Carlo Di Falco said under-18s cannot legally own firearms and must be under direct supervision from licensed adults.
“The proposed gun law changes currently being canvassed would overwhelmingly affect law abiding firearms owners who already comply with some of the strictest regulations in the world,” he said.
He argued the Bondi incident represented “the failure to administer” existing laws rather than gaps in the legislation itself.
“Regional Tasmanians of all ages have been safely using firearms to protect their crops and maintain wildlife populations for generations,” he said.
“Australians expect serious, measured leadership, not policy responses driven by fear or political opportunity.”
“Licensed shooters, farmers, sporting clubs and regional communities are not responsible for the actions of violent offenders, and it is unfair and ineffective to treat them as such.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese yesterday said national cabinet had agreed to strengthen gun laws.
Options include limiting firearm numbers, curbing open-ended licensing and restricting licences to Australian citizens.
“Licences should not be in perpetuity. People’s circumstances can change. People can be radicalised over a period of time,” Albanese said.
“If we need to toughen these up, if there’s anything that we can do, I’m certainly up for it.”
Measures will include renegotiations of the National Firearms Agreement established after the Port Arthur massacre.
