28th Nov 2018, 4:37 PM – Senate Motions - National Firearms Agreement - Resist moves to weaken

The majority voted in favour of a motion introduced by Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi (NSW), which means it passed. Motions like these don't make any legal changes on their own but as they represent the will of the Senate, they can be politically influential.

Motion text

That the Senate—

(a) notes that, according to reports:

(i) there have been more than 50 breaches of the National Firearm Agreement across Australian states and territories since it was implemented in 1996,

(ii) corporate members of the gun lobby group, the Shooting Industry Foundation of Australia (SIFA), include suppliers and manufacturers of weapons, such as Nioa, Raytrade, Outdoor Sporting Agencies, Winchester and Baretta, who stand to benefit from relaxed gun laws, and

(iii) SIFA is becoming increasingly active in election campaigns with a clear strategy to weaken gun laws – the gun lobby group contributed $220,000 to a political campaign in Queensland last year, and is contributing at least $165,000 to a political campaign in Victoria this year; and

(b) calls on the Federal Government to:

(i) show leadership so that the National Firearm Agreement is complied with in all Australian states and territories, and

(ii) resist moves to weaken Australia's gun control laws.