Page 2749 - Week 07 - Thursday, 3 July 2008
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amendment from us, and I also note there is part of an amendment from the attorney on that.
The rules for permits to acquire also will be the subject of an amendment as far as we are concerned. In relation to that, other states do not have a time period for a second and subsequent firearm. We are proposing to drop the 28 days to 14 days, which will still give police ample time to do a record check—which I understand from police takes about five days—yet it will not be overly restrictive in terms of legitimate users of firearms, especially people who engage in competitions.
There are some new provisions relating to the registration of firearms; most notably, that a sample-based audit of the register be undertaken every two years. The bill makes provisions relating to firearm dealers, adding the function of temporary storage and firming up the requirements of dealers in relation to close associates.
Enforcement provisions have been made more comprehensive and HR compliant and include new powers of entry and inspection. The bill inserts a range of trafficking offences. There are new provisions relating to the operation of shooting ranges, including paintball ranges. People who inherit firearms will have provisions that make it easier for them, allowing them to temporarily store them with a dealer while they apply for a licence, give them to a dealer for sale or surrender them to the police. The bill also amends the Prohibited Weapons Act, primarily rearranging and augmenting the classes and types of prohibited weapons and articles, making certain seizure provisions and empowering the registrar to make regulations.
The legislation adds a range of weapons to the prohibited list, primarily certain types of knives. That has given rise to certain concerns, certainly from antique dealers and people who collect these types of items, especially in relation to trench knives and one other form of knife in particular. How to deal with that caused us some concern. We were very keen that the legitimate rights of people to collect these types of items be upheld. I cannot think of any instances when they have been stolen from collectors and used in crimes.
The most common knife crimes here involve knives that you can buy over the counter. The most common knives in domestic violence situations are kitchen knives. I suppose no-one is suggesting that we ban cutlery. Clearly, these types of weapons are collectors items. They are not used in crime. As long as there is proper, sensible regulation I do not think we should be overly prescriptive. Accordingly, we are proposing an amendment which I understand was agreed upon by the consultative committee but for some reason it was never put in the legislation. So we will be seeking to address that by amendment.
There are some additional transitional arrangements for the two pieces of legislation, as well as consequential arrangements for the Court Procedures Act, the Crimes (Sentence Administration) Regulation, the Domestic Violence Protection Orders Act, the Fair Trading Act, and the Spent Convictions Act.
I turn now to one or two other matters which we will not oppose or seek to amend but which we wish to draw to the attention of the Assembly as being perhaps something
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