Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Wong. Australia doesn't have a gun problem; it has a problem with antisemitism and Islamic extremism. The government has failed for two years to take effective action against antisemitism and extremism. Minister, can you provide a guarantee to the Australian public that the two terrorists who perpetrated the 14 December Bondi attack would not have been able to do so had the government rushed these flawed firearm bills being in place at the time?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I think what most of us believe is that this attack does highlight the need to get guns off our streets, and we know that—

Hon. Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order across the chamber! I cannot hear the minister's response.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We know that Australia's gun laws were substantially reformed in the wake of the Port Arthur tragedy, and we saw bipartisan support from John Howard, Kim Beazley, Tim Fischer—

A government senator: Borbidge!

and Mr Borbidge—thank you—for action. I think it is sad for the Australian community that we see such a politicisation.

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On relevancy, my question was: would the Bondi Beach attack—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McKenzie—

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

have been able to occur had the—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McKenzie, come to order.

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

unfair firearm laws been in place?

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McKenzie! Do not continue speaking when I call you to order. You have made a point of order, I have noted your question, and the minister is being directly relevant. Minister, please continue.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This is the advice I have: if the national reform package had already been in place, the gunman would not have been eligible to hold firearms at all. The father would have been ineligible because he was not a citizen. The firearms that they were using would not have been available to them. And the son, who did not have a firearms licence in any event, had he tried, any intelligence holdings with respect to him would have formed part of the licensing decision. Senator, this is one of the many reasons why you should be voting for it.

Now, no-one is pretending that guns deal with everything, and the gun buyback legislation is only one aspect of what the government is doing and what the parliament is doing. As the Prime Minister said, and I referenced earlier, the gunmen at Bondi—the murderers at Bondi—had hate in their minds and guns in their hands and we need to deal with both. And it is a matter of great regret that you have chosen not to deal with— (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McKenzie, a second supplementary?

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Australia already has tough gun laws in place. The question is: Are the existing laws being implemented effectively? How was a person who was assessed by ASIO for close ties with an Islamic State terrorism cell able to access firearms in the state of New South Wales?

Hon. Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McKenzie, resume your seat. I reminded those on my right, particularly, when questions are being asked, the senator has a right for that question to be heard in silence. That is my expectation. Senator McKenzie, please continue.

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I did finish—I finished on 'New South Wales'.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That is precisely why we need the legislation that you seem to wish to oppose. That is precisely one of the reasons why we need this legislation. Look, I understand the constituency and the communities that you seek to represent, and you are right—there are many decent law-abiding gun owners. But we also know that we have more guns now in our country than after the Port Arthur reforms were in place. We know, as I said earlier, that if we had stricter gun laws in the shape that have come into this chamber then the two gunmen responsible are likely to have been unable to obtain a weapon. So what I would say to you is, yes, it is worth doing; it is worth regulating. David Meagher, the brother of the police officer who was killed, Peter Meagher, has made some comments and I will refer to them in my next answer.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McKenzie, a second supplementary?

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

If the government's firearm reforms are purportedly intended as a response to the 14 December terrorist attack, why is the government proposing new restrictions on the imports of gel balls for toy skirmish markers and handguns for competition sports? How does restricting these items respond to what happened at Bondi Beach?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My recollection is that those provisions were in part as a result of the advice from national security agencies but I am sure that will be—you know, laughing at that, Senator, I find remarkable.

Hon. Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Once again, order across the chamber. Minister Wong, please continue.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

David Meagher, the brother of former police officer Peter Meagher, who was killed at Bondi, has said, 'An antisemite without a gun is a hate-filled person; an antisemite with a gun is a killer.' So, Senator—

Susan McDonald (Queensland, National Party, Shadow Minister for Resources and Northern Australia) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What about a car? What about knives? What about a bomb?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will take that interjection. What about a car? They are not the same thing.

Honourable senators interjecting—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order!