Jason Clare (Blaxland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Home Affairs ) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for his question. This is a very important question. Five weeks ago, I announced a national investigation into the illegal firearms market and its links to gang activity in Australia. I commissioned the most powerful law enforcement agency in the country to do this work: the Australian Crime Commission. They have the powers effectively of a standing royal commission—the power to compel witnesses to appear and give evidence and the power and ability to trace firearms. It was their work in tracing one gun that led all around the world to those arrests and the dismantling of a criminal syndicate last week—working with the New South Wales Police Force, the Customs and Border Protection Service and the AFP.

I have asked the Australian Crime Commission to do that same tracing analysis for the firearms that have been seized right across the country by police over the last 12 months. This will provide police with more intelligence and the capacity to make more arrests. By tracing more weapons you get more criminal intelligence and that gives you the potential to arrest more criminals. This investigation will provide the federal government and state governments—

Mr Morrison interjecting—

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