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Australian government unveils gun amnesty amid terror warnings Australian government unveils gun amnesty amid terror warnings
(about 1 hour later)
The Australian federal government is to call a three month national gun amnesty, the first since the Port Arthur massacre in Tasmania in 1996. The Australian federal government is to call a three-month national gun amnesty, the first since the Port Arthur massacre in Tasmania in 1996.
The amnesty is being held against a backdrop of an increased threat of terrorism and ongoing shootings and gun violence across the country. The amnesty is being held against a backdrop of an increased threat of terrorism and repeated incidents involving shootings and gun violence across the country.
The justice minister Michael Keenan will on Friday confirm details of the amnesty, which is due to begin on 1 July. The justice minister, Michael Keenan, will on Friday confirm details of the amnesty, which is due to begin on 1 July.
“The fact [is] we’ve got a deteriorating national security environment,” Mr Keenan told ABC radio. “The fact [is] we’ve got a deteriorating national security environment,” Keenan told ABC radio.
“We’ve got an environment where there has been five terrorists attacks on our soil and sadly in the vast majority of those cases it has been an illegal firearm that’s been used.”“We’ve got an environment where there has been five terrorists attacks on our soil and sadly in the vast majority of those cases it has been an illegal firearm that’s been used.”
The government estimates there are 260,000 illegal guns in the community. “The danger there is that there might be a circumstance where the wrong person - a criminal, a terrorist - might get their hands on those guns,” Keenan said. The government estimates there are 260,000 illegal guns in the community. “The danger there is that there might be a circumstance where the wrong person - a criminal, a terrorist – might get their hands on those guns,” Keenan said.
Keenan said the amnesty would allow people to hand in guns with no questions asked. “We don’t want those guns to be able to fall into the wrong hands,” he said.Keenan said the amnesty would allow people to hand in guns with no questions asked. “We don’t want those guns to be able to fall into the wrong hands,” he said.
Fellow cabinet minister Christopher Pyne said if illegal guns weren’t in the system they couldn’t be used to kill the likes of Queensland police officer Brett Forte recently.Fellow cabinet minister Christopher Pyne said if illegal guns weren’t in the system they couldn’t be used to kill the likes of Queensland police officer Brett Forte recently.
Labor is backing the amnesty. “We would certainly encourage people to do the right thing and to hand them in,” frontbencher Anthony Albanese told the Nine Network. Labor is backing the amnesty. “We would certainly encourage people to do the right thing and to hand them in,” frontbencher Anthony Albanese told Channel Nine.
The Port Arthur shooting in April 1996 ended with the deaths of 35 people at the popular tourist site in Tasmania. The gunman, Martin Bryant, was given 35 life sentences.The Port Arthur shooting in April 1996 ended with the deaths of 35 people at the popular tourist site in Tasmania. The gunman, Martin Bryant, was given 35 life sentences.