Uniform national gun laws must be maintained.
Media Release - 20th March, 1998.


The Australian Democrats say moves to water down uniform national gun laws are out of step with battling Australia, the Australian Democrats' Attorney General and Justice spokesperson, Senator Natasha Stott Despoja, said today.

"Everything that has been achieved since the Port Arthur massacre will be jeopardised," Senator Stott Despoja said.

"After all the agony in 1996 to get workable national uniform gun laws, the Commonwealth, Territory and State leaders must not buckle under pressure from the gun lobby."

"The gun lobby may claim the gun laws are unreasonable and unworkable, but these laws are strongly supported by the majority of Australians."

"There were calls for uniform national gun laws long before the massacre at Port Arthur with most of the work on developing model legislation already done before the massacre. "

"The laws which are now in place were not some knee-jerk reaction to Port Arthur. "

"The national uniform gun laws are a step towards consistent and fair rules for all Australians. "

"The sticking point to achieving national uniform gun laws in this country before Port Arthur was the inability - or perhaps just an unwillingness - by the States and Territories to agree to the finer details of the necessary legislation. "

"It was only the widespread public outcry which followed the massacre at Port Arthur that helped focus the States and Territories and allowed us to achieve the laws which we now have in place."

"The Democrats call on the Prime Minister to exert strong pressure to ensure that Australia's commitment to national uniform gun laws are maintained," said Senator Stott Despoja.

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Natasha Stott Despoja is the Australian Democrats spokesperson for Attorney General.

Telephone: (08) 8232 7595 or 0418 812 589.
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