Steven Mace
04-24-2002, 03:54 AM
McGrady aims at firearm amnesty
Rosemary Odgers and Chris Jones
24apr02
LAWS allowing owners of illegal guns to hand their firearms over to police without penalty will be introduced soon in Queensland.
Police Minister Tony McGrady is preparing to brief Cabinet on the proposal, designed to target the hundreds of thousands of illegal semi-automatic guns believed to remain hidden in the community.
It comes five years after an amnesty introduced in the wake of the Port Arthur massacre prompted Queenslanders to turn over 130,000 guns to police.
Under Mr McGrady's planned amnesty, unregistered gun owners would be allowed to re-register or surrender their weapons to police without question or fear of prosecution.
"I think what we have to do is give these people who currently have weapons without licences the final opportunity to register these weapons or hand them in," he said.
Mr McGrady's plan followed confirmation over the weekend by Victoria's Police Service that it netted 6000 guns last year as part of an amnesty in that state which ended in February.
Queensland Liberal Party leader Bob Quinn, who put an amnesty on the agenda on Monday, said he believed thousands of illegal firearms would be surrendered by Queenslanders.
He said many people had been hesitant to surrender their weapons since the last amnesty period ended in September 1997 because they feared being fined or convicted.
"Now is an ideal opportunity to let these people know that they can hand in those weapons and not be fined," Mr Quinn said.
He said that when the last amnesty was in place, many firearm owners were reluctant to surrender their weapons because of a "large degree of bad will" between shooters and the government.
Mr Quinn said he believed the passage of time had mellowed tensions and emotions, making now the perfect opportunity to finish the job.
Opposition Leader Mike Horan said the Government would achieve more if it targeted the illegal firearms hidden by criminals rather than calling an amnesty.
"I think what they've got to do is try and find the guns that are held by criminals," Mr Horan said. "When the gun buyback was on back in the '90s, it was only the good people who handed in the guns.
"If there are illegal firearms out there that get handed in then well and good, but the real issue is that after all of this will any of those firearms that are held by criminals be handed in?
"You've got to get the guns off the baddies."
People caught with illegal weapons in Queensland face a $7500 fine and two years' jail.
Since July 1997, 5638 people have been convicted of Weapons Act offences in Queensland. About 130,000 of the 612,000 weapons handed in to authorities during the nationwide 1996 amnesty were from Queenslanders.
It has been estimated that more than 2.5 million illegal semi-automatic guns remain in Australia.
Mr McGrady said all states had given a recent commitment to introduce amnesties, but they would be staggered.
http://www.thecouriermail.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,4189608%255E3102,00.html
Steve Mace
Rosemary Odgers and Chris Jones
24apr02
LAWS allowing owners of illegal guns to hand their firearms over to police without penalty will be introduced soon in Queensland.
Police Minister Tony McGrady is preparing to brief Cabinet on the proposal, designed to target the hundreds of thousands of illegal semi-automatic guns believed to remain hidden in the community.
It comes five years after an amnesty introduced in the wake of the Port Arthur massacre prompted Queenslanders to turn over 130,000 guns to police.
Under Mr McGrady's planned amnesty, unregistered gun owners would be allowed to re-register or surrender their weapons to police without question or fear of prosecution.
"I think what we have to do is give these people who currently have weapons without licences the final opportunity to register these weapons or hand them in," he said.
Mr McGrady's plan followed confirmation over the weekend by Victoria's Police Service that it netted 6000 guns last year as part of an amnesty in that state which ended in February.
Queensland Liberal Party leader Bob Quinn, who put an amnesty on the agenda on Monday, said he believed thousands of illegal firearms would be surrendered by Queenslanders.
He said many people had been hesitant to surrender their weapons since the last amnesty period ended in September 1997 because they feared being fined or convicted.
"Now is an ideal opportunity to let these people know that they can hand in those weapons and not be fined," Mr Quinn said.
He said that when the last amnesty was in place, many firearm owners were reluctant to surrender their weapons because of a "large degree of bad will" between shooters and the government.
Mr Quinn said he believed the passage of time had mellowed tensions and emotions, making now the perfect opportunity to finish the job.
Opposition Leader Mike Horan said the Government would achieve more if it targeted the illegal firearms hidden by criminals rather than calling an amnesty.
"I think what they've got to do is try and find the guns that are held by criminals," Mr Horan said. "When the gun buyback was on back in the '90s, it was only the good people who handed in the guns.
"If there are illegal firearms out there that get handed in then well and good, but the real issue is that after all of this will any of those firearms that are held by criminals be handed in?
"You've got to get the guns off the baddies."
People caught with illegal weapons in Queensland face a $7500 fine and two years' jail.
Since July 1997, 5638 people have been convicted of Weapons Act offences in Queensland. About 130,000 of the 612,000 weapons handed in to authorities during the nationwide 1996 amnesty were from Queenslanders.
It has been estimated that more than 2.5 million illegal semi-automatic guns remain in Australia.
Mr McGrady said all states had given a recent commitment to introduce amnesties, but they would be staggered.
http://www.thecouriermail.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,4189608%255E3102,00.html
Steve Mace