Kellie Sloane
Leader of the Opposition
NSW Liberal Leader
Anthony Roberts
Shadow Minister for Police and Counter-terrorism
The NSW Liberals have unveiled a comprehensive plan to combat the real threats to community safety: organised crime, gangland violence, terrorism, firearms trafficking and illegal guns.
Following the Bondi terrorist attack, the Liberals made clear that firearms reforms must strengthen community safety by targeting dangerous individuals, criminal networks and illegal firearms.
Instead, Labor rushed complex legislation through Parliament without proper consultation and has since failed to meaningfully engage with licensed firearm owners, farmers, sporting shooters, collectors, firearms businesses and other affected stakeholders.
The result is poorly designed laws that impose unfair consequences on law-abiding citizens without doing enough to target those who pose the greatest threat to the community.
The NSW Liberals' plan will correct these unintended consequences while maintaining strong firearms controls and strengthening the focus on criminals, gangs and terrorists.
BACK THE POLICE
The Liberals will deliver a significant law-and-order package giving NSW Police stronger laws, specialist officers, intelligence capabilities and operational resources to tackle illegal firearms, organised crime and terrorism.
The package will:
Increase funding for the NSW Firearms Registry to improve its technology, intelligence and capacity to monitor suspicious activity and emerging risks.
Increase funding and resourcing to the New South Wales Police's State Crime Command and Counter Terrorism & Special Tactics Command. This will provide additional specialist officers, intelligence capabilities and operational resources to disrupt organised criminal networks, seize illegal firearms and ammunition as well as combat gangland violence.
Increase the maximum penalty for trafficking firearms or ammunition from 20 years' imprisonment to life imprisonment, with a standard non-parole period.
Anyone found carrying an illegal gun will face mandatory time in jail, under tough new sentencing laws.
Strengthen NSW Firearms Prohibition Orders to give police an even more effective tool to disrupt organised crime, gang violence, terrorism and other serious offending. Firearms Prohibition Order would be mandatory following conviction for prescribed serious offences, with the final categories to be settled following consultation with NSW Police and appropriate legal safeguards.
Establish a Parliamentary Committee on Intelligence and Community Safety focused on terrorism, violent extremism, hate groups, firearms trafficking, social cohesion and emerging threats.
RECOGNISE GENUINE NEED
A NSW Liberals Government will scrap Labor's arbitrary firearm caps for primary producers and competition sporting shooters with a genuine and demonstrable need.
Strict limits will remain for people without a legitimate reason to possess additional firearms.
A Commission of Inquiry will also identify a workable pathway for recreational hunters who can demonstrate a genuine need to support primary producers with pest control.
FREEZE THE BUYBACK
The NSW Liberals will freeze the buyback for all licensed firearm owners until the Commission of Inquiry has completed its work and the Government has responded to its recommendations.
During the freeze, licensed owners will not be forced to surrender firearms under Labor's new limits. NSW Police will retain all existing powers to suspend or cancel licences and seize firearms where there is a risk to public safety.
Following the inquiry, any buyback will be better targeted, provide fair compensation and allow associated ammunition and accessories to be surrendered in the same transaction.
FIX THE LAWS
A NSW Liberals Government will establish a Commission of Inquiry to review and improve Labor's rushed laws and recommend sensible firearms reforms targeting terrorists, criminals and illegal guns.
The inquiry will examine the operation of the Firearms Registry and NSW firearms laws, including background checks, intelligence sharing, licence categories and conditions, genuine-reason requirements and a risk-based licence-renewal system.
It will ensure permanent reforms are informed by evidence, operational experience and proper consultation with NSW Police, security agencies, licensed firearm owners and affected industries.
Leader of the Opposition Kellie Sloane said the plan presented a clear choice between Labor's rushed, reactive and failed approach to crime or a Liberal Government that gives police the powers and resources they need and is focused on the criminals, gangs and terrorists who threaten our community.
"We will fix Labor's flawed laws and back our police with the powers and resources they need," Ms Sloane said.
"Responsible farmers, sporting shooters and professionals with a genuine operational need should not be unfairly punished because Chris Minns and Labor failed to properly consult or design workable laws."
"Our approach will maintain strong firearms controls while focusing the full force of the law on criminals, gangs and terrorists who threaten our community."
Shadow Minister for Police and Counter-terrorism Anthony Roberts said NSW families were sick of waking up to news of shootings, firebombings and kidnappings.
"The test of firearms reform is not whether it produces the loudest headline. The test is whether it disrupts criminal networks, identifies dangerous individuals, removes illegal firearms from our streets and makes the community safer," Mr Roberts said.
"Our plan is tough where it needs to be, fair where it should be and focused squarely on the people who pose a genuine threat to the community."
"We also need a buyback that people will actually participate in, one that is properly funded, provides fair compensation and allows associated ammunition and accessories to be surrendered safely."
The plan builds on the Liberals' commitment to strengthen laws targeting organised criminal networks and violence brokers, double resources for the NSW Crime Commission deliver Anytime, Anywhere Knife Wanding powers for police and deter youth crime through Adult Crime Adult Time reforms.
