Get the guns out of the community

Police Ministers have been called on to ban semi-automatic handguns, 
after a tragic incident at Monash University in Melbourne in which two 
people were killed and five others injured. The alleged killer is a student 
who possessed a number of weapons.

The National Coalition for Gun Control (NCGC) said this latest shooting in 
Melbourne has refocused attention on the dangers of legal possession of 
semi-automatic guns. NCGC Chair Samantha Lee says governments should now be 
channelling resources into the task of getting the guns out of the 
community.

Greens Senator Bob Brown welcomed the Prime Minister's move to ban semi-
automatic handguns. According to Senator Brown "there are 60,000 licensed 
handguns in NSW and with an estimated 300,000 legal and illegal handguns in 
circulation Australia is facing a handgun epidemic, leading to a rate of 
nearly one death per week.

"Getting a hand gun licence is too easy. Semi-automatic rifles are banned. 
There is no reason why semi-automatic handguns should be allowed except in 
exceptional cases", he said.

In contrast to John Howard's stand the State Governments, especially in 
Victoria and NSW, responded coolly to the moves to ban semi-automatic 
handguns. One reason is purely opportunistic considerations of the coming 
elections and the expected backlash from the shooters' lobby.

NSW Premier Bob Carr said that he would be happy to discuss the problem 
with the Prime Minister. The NSW Opposition leader John Brogden said he was 
satisfied with the existing laws.

John Tingle of the Shooters Party, who along with other independents and 
minor parties controls the balance of power in the NSW Upper House, claims 
that to control guns means to control people.

"NSW Labor seems to think that they have to appease the Shooters Party or 
the far right generally", commented Lee Rhiannon, NSW Greens MP.

"The far right parties are irrelevant and irresponsible and the major 
parties should shun them completely. The Greens believe that there may 
potentially be a way to negotiate rights of gun access for shooting clubs 
but the absolute priority is to take semi-automatic weapons out of 
circulation", she said.

Nobody has a right to own a private armoury of semi-automatic weapons", Ms 
Rhiannon concluded.

At a meeting with state leaders last Thursday John Howard proposed a 
buyback of all guns, except those used for such sporting events as the 
Olympic or Commonwealth Games, police, security and military purposes.

It is not yet clear which weapons will be blacklisted. Senator Bob Brown 
has warned about the possibility of the Sporting Shooters Council eroding 
the legislation by giving the government advice on which guns were used in 
competition.

Police Ministers will discuss the proposals next month and the final 
decision is likely to be taken at the Council of Australian Governments 
meeting at the end of November.