- Opposition Leader Basil Zempilas fails leadership test to play politics with important firearms laws designed to make community safer
- Mr Zempilas refuses to stand up to senior Opposition MPs attempting to wind back critical laws that remove guns from serious offenders, including domestic violence perpetrators
- Only the Cook Labor Government will stand up for the safety of Western Australians
The State Government has slammed Opposition Leader Basil Zempilas for his failure to show leadership and stand up against his colleagues' moves to scrap firearms laws designed to make the community safer.
The new laws will remove guns from Western Australian streets, particularly from serious offenders, and were passed by State Parliament in June last year.
The laws are among the toughest in Australia and came into effect last month.
Despite the importance of these laws in keeping the community safe, Mr Zempilas has refused to block attempts by senior members of the Opposition in both houses of Parliament to wind them back. He stayed silent and showed no leadership during the debate.
Mr Zempilas voted to support a disallowance motion in the Lower House by Nationals Leader Shane Love that, if successful, would have blocked police from accessing new powers to remove guns from serious offenders, such as family and domestic violence perpetrators.
A similar disallowance motion was moved in the Upper House by Mr Zempilas' Liberal colleague Steve Thomas.
As stated by Police Minister Reece Whitby:
"Despite being called out to show leadership, the Opposition Leader has chosen to turn his back on Western Australians and instead play politics by backing his political buddies at the expense of community safety.
"This is a reckless decision that proves Basil Zempilas will say one thing to one section of the community, but then do something completely different when it suits him.
"Playing politics at the expense of the safety of the WA community is madness - and it needs to be called out.
"The State Government makes no apologies for calling out the lack of leadership by the Opposition Leader, and his efforts to score political points at the expense of laws that would take guns out of the hands of serious offenders, such as domestic violence perpetrators.
"The safety of victim-survivors will always be the Cook Labor Government's highest priority, which is clearly not the case with the Opposition -otherwise, they would stop playing games in Parliament and back these important laws."
As stated by Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence Minister Jessica Stojkovski:
"The Cook Labor Government will not waiver in its commitment to protecting the community.
"We have taken action to stop guns falling into the wrong hands and the Opposition is trying to give them back.
"Today, the Opposition Leader had a simple choice: Back our tough, nation-leading gun laws or show he has no interest in protecting the lives of West Australians and victim-survivors of family and domestic violence, most of which are women and children.
"Once again, this shows his only priority is playing politics, jeopardising community safety, and refusing to stand with victims, frontline workers, and every Western Australian who wants a safer future."
