Brian Mitchell (Lyons, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Attorney-General. How is the Albanese Labor government acting to keep Australians safe from the threat of gun violence?

Mark Dreyfus (Isaacs, Australian Labor Party, Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Lyons for his question. Australia's proud to have some of the world's toughest and most effective gun laws as well as some of the most responsible gun owners in the world. In the wake of the Port Arthur massacre, Australians vowed never again. Under the leadership of John Howard and Kim Beazley, leaders across the nation united to pass some of the strongest gun laws in the world.

But we know there are still many illegal weapons in our community. Last year the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission estimated there were around 200,000 illegal firearms in Australia. The surrender of every single illegal or unregistered weapon would make our community safer. Today, the Albanese government has released the second Permanent National Firearms Amnesty annual report. The report shows that in the last year some 12,000 firearms and weapons and over 600 firearms parts and accessories have been permanently removed from the community as a result of the amnesty.

The amnesty operates on no questions asked basis. There is no risk of a fine and no risk of jail, and it's working, with 30,000 weapons surrendered since the amnesty commenced. I thank those who have participated to date, including the many responsible gun owners who've given up their unwanted firearms. The amnesty contributes not just to community safety but to the safety of police officers. The surrendering of illicit firearms reduces incidences of theft and the diversion of unwanted firearms to the black market.

This success follows National Cabinet's landmark agreement in December last year to implement a national firearms register. For decades, law enforcement agencies have repeatedly raised the alarm about tracking the movement of firearms across state and territory borders. The establishment of a national firearms register will finally address this issue. It represents the most significant improvement in Australia's firearms management systems in almost 30 years. The National Firearms Register will keep our communities safer from the threat of gun violence. It's a signature reform of the Albanese Labor government.

Again, I thank all of those who have surrendered their weapons as part of the permanent amnesty. For those who are still in possession of an unregistered or unwanted firearm, I encourage you to surrender it to help protect your family and your community.