By Papalia’s Botched Gun Laws Collapse as Parliament Forces Review
The WA Government has agreed to send its rushed and deeply flawed firearms laws to a parliamentary committee for review. This is a major backdown after months of pressure from stakeholders across the state.
Labor joined all non-Government parties in supporting the motion, with the inquiry now set to examine rollout problems, potential amendments, and the broader impact of the new “reforms”. It’s a significant development and a clear sign of just how flawed the WA Government’s firearm laws are.
A Predictable Failure
These issues were entirely foreseeable; the legislation was pushed through Parliament by then Police Minister Paul Papalia with Premier Roger Cook’s complete support with little to no meaningful consultation with the shooting industry or licensed firearms owners.
Since the implementation of the regulations in March, the laws have been an unmitigated disaster. A clunky, non-functional and unreliable digital system, unworkable and confusing requirements for freight and zero plan to manage how any of this would work in practice.
One of the biggest failures has been the requirement for Firearm Authority Health Assessments (FAHAs), with doctors across WA overwhelmingly refusing to take part in administering the assessments. Papalia and Premier Cook arrogantly forged ahead with health assessment requirements, completely ignoring the Australian Medical Association (AMA) and Royal Australian College of General Practitioners’ (RACGP) opposition to the proposal with AMA WA President, Dr Michael Page, even going so far as to label the WA laws a “cautionary tale for other states.”
This situation could have been avoided. A serious issue like firearms reform needs proper long-term planning, evidence-based policy, and genuine consultation with experts such as SIFA and all affected stakeholders. Instead, we saw political theatre with poorly justified reasoning such as the Floreat murders, which existing laws, if properly enforced, would have prevented. This subpar legislation is now collapsing under the weight of its terrible design and rushed implementation.
A Welcome Shift in Leadership
There has, however, been a significant shift since Reece Whitby became Police Minister. While industry and the minister do not agree on everything, he has shown a willingness to listen, engage, and to try to understand the issues. That change in approach has been recognised and appreciated by the industry and licence holders.
SIFA also acknowledges the politicians who fought against the reforms and pushed to have these laws reviewed. This includes members of the Opposition, led by the Nationals, and even the Greens. While the Greens are feverishly anti-gun, even they recognise that these laws are an unworkable disaster.
A Chance to Fix What’s Broken
SIFA is ready to continue its constructive contribution to the process and is seeking to ensure that the outcome makes sense. That means workable evidence-based laws that support community safety, ensure the industry remains viable in WA, respects health professionals and gives police clear direction. Unfortunately, due to the composition of both houses of WA Parliament, there is little chance of sweeping changes, but there is hope that the laws will be reworked so they are more practical and less burdensome on the shooting industry and firearms owners.
