Michael Keenan (Stirling, Liberal Party, Minister for Justice) Share this | Hansard source

what is important in terms of public safety and guns in Australia is that we are as strict as possible on the illegal firearms market. It is the black market for guns that represents the most significant risk to public safety. The reason we have the NFA and the reason that we restrict weapons of a high capacity or of a high calibre is that we do not want those weapons moving from the legal into the illegal market. It is the illegal market that we need to be tough on if we are going to ensure public safety.

When Labor were in office we of course saw an instance where 200 Glocks we imported through an Australia Post office in Sylvania Waters. We were determined when we came to office that we were not going to let that happen. We were going to crack down on what was important for public safety, which is the illegal firearms market, and we have been stymied in that objective by an obstinate Labor Party that refuses to join with us to get that done.

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