Turnbull rejects calls to extend national gun amnesty

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has rejected opposition calls to extend a national gun amnesty.

Andrew Colvin, Michael Keenan and Malcolm Turnbul

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has rejected opposition calls to extend a national gun amnesty. (AAP)

Malcolm Turnbull has quashed Labor calls to extend a national gun amnesty in response to the Las Vegas mass shooting in which a gunman killed 58 people.

The prime minister said the success of a recent amnesty - the first national scheme since the 1996 Port Arthur massacre - was due largely to its specific time frame.

"I'm not suggesting we won't have gun amnesties in the future, but this one has been very effective because it has, as I said, a beginning, a middle and an end," Mr Turnbull told reporters in Sydney on Friday.

The three-month amnesty, from July 1 to September 30, resulted in 51,000 weapons surrendered.
However, intelligence agencies estimate there are still 260,000 unregistered firearms in circulation.

Australian Federal Police commissioner Andrew Colvin said amnesties were continuing in some jurisdictions.

"If there are members of the public who still have firearms that they're concerned about, I would strongly encourage them to make contact with their local police," Mr Colvin said.

Mr Turnbull again took aim at Labor for refusing to back five-year minimum mandatory sentences for people convicted of smuggling guns.

"We need to send a strong signal that if you smuggle guns in Australia, you will go to jail," he said.

"It doesn't matter how good your lawyer is, doesn't matter how persuasive a case you can mount, you should go to jail."
Labor has long opposed mandatory sentencing, believing it deprives judges of the ability to ensure the penalty fits the crime, arguing parliament's role is instead to set maximum jail terms.

The opposition wants to see gun smugglers, who run criminal syndicates bringing illegal firearms into Australia, face life behind bars.

Former deputy prime minister Tim Fischer, the chief regional salesman for John Howard's firearm reforms, has meanwhile weighed in on the United States gun debate.

Mr Fischer welcomed the National Firearm Association's calls for tougher regulations on the device used by the Las Vegan gunman to modify weapons.

Stephen Paddock used bump stocks to transform a cache of semi-automatic rifles into fully automatic guns, meaning they could fire much more quickly.

"While I welcome the NRA's statement reflecting a slight change of heart, it is very tightly worded and relates only to the pump stock issue," Mr Fischer said on Friday.

"There are many other issues which must be tackled in the USA, including sensible limitations on the size of magazines. You don't need 20 rounds to shoot a wild bore or deer."

Mr Fischer wants the five most recent US presidents to take a joint stand on gun controls, saying it would be the making of the Trump administration if he were to achieve comprehensive incremental reforms.


Share
Published 6 October 2017 12:42pm
Updated 6 October 2017 2:03pm
Source: AAP


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world