26-06-2025
Police minister says other states looking to copy Cook government's hardline WA gun laws
Western Australia's police minister says the state government is entertaining approaches from other jurisdictions keen to copy the state's tough new gun laws.
The laws, billed as the "strictest in the country", took effect in March and include caps on firearm ownership numbers, mandatory health assessments, and a voluntary buyback scheme.
Other states and territories have remained coy on the matter, but Police Minister Reece Whitby suggested some are considering adopting similar measures.
"Although it's not easy and straightforward, it's good practice, it's a good law, it's going to put us in a good place, and other states will look at us."
Mr Whitby said it was important all Australian states remained open to modernising their laws to keep the community safe.
"We all need to align ourselves, so each state is progressively looking at their legislation," he said.
Mr Whitby's claims come amid a review of the laws by WA's Legislative Council sparked by numerous issues that have emerged during their implementation.
Farmers and professional shooters have flagged repeated failures with the government's online portal, while doctors have raised concerns about their role in the new licensing system.
Australian Shooters Union President Graham Park said the review was happening because the laws were deeply flawed.
"These reforms are highly discriminatory and are doomed to fail because they are impossible to administer, which is why your upper house has voted for a review, which even the Labor Party accepts," he said.
"One example is expecting doctors to sign off on every renewal, every new licence, when the physicians' association in Western Australia has come out strongly and said, no, it doesn't want to do this."
Mr Park said he could not understand why any state would want to follow WA's lead.
"Some states may be interested in some aspect or another of the laws, but other states are hopefully mystified as to why WA has ditched the entire national firearms agreement that all the other states have agreed to," he said.
"It's effectively un-Australian."
Gun control groups believe opinions like those of the Australian Shooters Union were in the minority.
Alannah and Madeline Foundation spokesperson Stephen Bendle said other state governments would do well to follow WA's example.
"We think that there is a great level of support in the community for strong gun laws, but unfortunately, there is an industry which has a commercial interest in the proliferation of firearms," he said.
"I think they should certainly consider the reforms — in particular the cap on the number of firearms that one can own.
"It's a legal activity — I understand that — and the vast majority of firearm owners are law-abiding people, but firearm use and possession are a privilege in Australia that's conditional on public safety."
The ABC approached all states and territories as to whether they would alter their gun laws following the reforms in WA.
NSW Police Minister Yasmin Catley told the ABC the state had strict checks and balances as well as the NSW Firearms Registry.
A spokesperson from the Victorian Government said it regularly consulted on its laws, and last year made it easier for police to seize firearms from criminals.
Queensland Police Minister Dan Purdie ruled out changes to his government's laws.
