Zali Steggall (Warringah, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

by leave—I move amendments (1) and (2), as circulated in my name, together:

(1) Schedule 2, item 11, page 12 (line 14), omit "only".

(2) Schedule 2, item 11, page 12 (line 22), at the end of subsection 8(4A), add:

; (d) any criminal history or proceedings relating to domestic violence or AVOs issued in local courts.

In relation to the legislation which sets out firearms background checks, these amendments seek to amend subsection 8(4A), relating to firearms background checks. The current bill indicates:

… a firearms background check … may only take into account one or more of the following:

(a) an assessment by the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation of the individual under the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Act 1979;

(b) a criminal intelligence assessment (within the meaning of Part III of the Australian Crime Commission Act 2002) …

(c) the citizenship status of the individual.

The amendments circulated seek to delete the word 'only' and insert an additional provision (d) to indicate that, amidst the domestic violence crisis that we have in Australia, a firearms background check should take into account any interim or final apprehended violence order or domestic violence related events.

It is not acceptable that dangerous men or women have access to firearms when we have a domestic violence crisis. I do not understand why, if we are bringing legislation forward after the tragedy of the Bondi terrorist attack, we should not also be ensuring all Australians are safe, and that should include women being safe from domestic violence. I commend these amendments to the House to ensure that people should not be able to have access to licensed firearms if they have a violent history, especially in respect of domestic violence.

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