Pauline Hanson (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Hansard source

The demonising of law-abiding gun owners is unhelpful to the debate about violence in this country. The bashing of gun owners must stop. Many law-abiding Australians responsibly use firearms to work and hunt and for sport, and this needs to be taken into consideration. A gun to a farmer is what a wrench is to a plumber—a tool that, if removed, makes the business unworkable. A farmer's central job is to protect the environment, to make the land profitable and productive. There is no greater threat to our precious environment than feral pests such as wild pigs, foxes, cats, dogs and rabbits.

If the Greens want to contribute to this debate in a productive way, they could analyse and honestly discuss the existing laws. Existing laws state that only licensed gun dealers can trade or sell guns. Adverts for guns are very closely monitored. The police work with gun traders and are tough on illegal gun sales, as they should be. If the Greens were serious about stopping gun violence, they would look at resourcing police. The trouble with guns comes when they get into the hands of criminals. The logical extension to solving gun violence is resourcing the police so they can find illegal arms dealers and bring them to justice.

Australians have been lawfully and reasonably carrying weapons for a variety of reasons for generations. New laws introduced over recent years have made owning a gun even tougher. Law-abiding citizens are not the problem with guns; criminals are. They are the ones who the Greens should focus on, not law-abiding gun owners.