PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS

Mr BURNS (Macnamara) (13:22): This motion should be opposed, and it just shows exactly why from that presentation from the member for Parkes, which was void of facts and void of actual reality. This motion being put forward by the opposition is very concerning and flies in the proud history of the coalition actually doing something about gun ownership and making sure that Australia doesn't have the mass casualties that we see in the United States.

In 1996, in Port Arthur, Tasmania, 35 people were killed, two of which were Alannah and Madeline and their mother, Nanette. The Alannah & Madeline Foundation, which exists in my electorate and whose badge I'm wearing today in the chamber, is an amazing organisation that advocates for the rights of children to be safe in this country. It has also advocated after the leader and the founder of that organisation, the father of these two incredible young girls, wrote to the then prime minister, John Howard.

The series of letters back and forth stand in history in this country as one of the finest moments of civilian advocacy and also responsibility taken by a prime minister. They have even been displayed here in this building. They offer an insight into the pain of a father mourning the death of his children but also the compassion and the action taken by our country after.

What happened after the Port Arthur massacre was that 650,000 firearms were bought back in the National Firearms Agreement. The member for Parkes cited a $15 million figure. Well, actually, John Howard and Tim Fischer raised $230 million to buy back those firearms, and they installed a 28-day waiting period.

They installed the notion that people can own firearms if they have a genuine reason for doing so, which laid the foundation for a lot of our firearms laws across the country. They also started buying back and created amnesty for gun owners. Fast forward to Bondi, where 15 people were killed for attending a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney.

What happened after that is that we came to this place and we instilled and passed legislation that was going to target those people who potentially could cause damage and the pain and the terror that we saw in Bondi. There is no confusion. There is no grey area.

Licences are given by states and territories. If there is confusion from the member for Parkes, then he should go and speak to a state or territory government, not the federal government. We do not set the licensing agreements.

The national buyback scheme is based on the fact that people can continue to have firearms if they have licences and if they can demonstrate that they have a genuine reason for doing so—the test that John Howard and Tim Fischer set. States and territories already have arrangements for hunting and recreational shooting per state and territory government. There is no confusion here.

This is the National Party jumping at shadows and forgetting one of the finest moments in their history where they showed leadership following one of the worst-ever incidents on Australian soil, where 35 people were killed by semiautomatic weapons. The National Party joined and faced people who were deeply impacted and deeply affected by this—gun owners themselves—and had the strength of conviction and courage, knowing that it was in Australia's interest to do so.

But that is not what we see in the National Party today. That is not what we see in the coalition today. They are desperate to try and be some poor imitation of the National Rifle Association in the United States, trying to weaken our gun laws, and Australians will pay the price.

Previously, ASIO was not consulted by a firearms registry about whether to issue a firearms licence. Now, thanks to our legislation, ASIO has an active role. Background checks were only conducted initially, but now they can be conducted if new information comes to hand.

Previously, citizenship was never a factor in owning a licence in this country, but now it is. I'm not sure exactly what those opposite are putting forward here, but if they have an issue with licences they should go and speak to the states and territories. If they think ASIO should have a lesser role in the issuing of firearm licences, they can go and speak to ASIO.

But we have a different view. Australia has a proud history of firearm control. We have fewer murders, fewer mass attacks and less killing as a result, and we should maintain these strong laws in Australia's national interest.