On Firearm Reforms…

Media Release – Josh Willie MP, Labor Leader & Jen Butler MP, Shadow Minister for Police, Fire & Emergency Services, 15 March 2026

Liberals Ignore Police Advice on Firearm Reforms

Documents released under right to information show the Police Commissioner wrote to Minister Felix Ellis supporting the national firearms reform agenda, including a cap on the number of firearms an individual can hold.

Tasmanian Labor has made our position clear: we support sensible firearm reforms that strengthen community safety while respecting the legitimate needs of responsible firearm owners.

We support limits on the number of firearms an individual can own because the first job of any government is to keep the community safe.

When it comes to community safety, Tasmanians expect the government to listen to the police. Instead, Premier Rockliff and Minister Ellis have chosen to ignore their advice and water down the reforms, leaving Tasmania with weaker safeguards than those supported by Tasmania Police and adopted in other states.

The Commissioner’s letter also highlights the scale of firearm ownership in Tasmania, with more than 157,000 registered firearms in the community and thousands of licence holders owning six or more guns. That is exactly why sensible safeguards are needed.

The Liberals want unlimited guns in the community. Labor does not support that, and Tasmanians don’t support that either.

Tasmanian Labor will work constructively with the Parliament to deliver practical firearm reforms that improve community safety while respecting the legitimate needs of primary producers, sports shooters, and recreational hunters.

The Premier agreed at National Cabinet that strong action was needed on gun law reform, including limits on firearm ownership.

But now that it’s time to act, the Premier backed away.

Tasmanians deserve leadership on community safety. If the Liberals won’t listen to police and take action, Labor will.

Media Release – Tabatha Badger MP, Greens Police, Fire and Emergency Management Spokesperson, 15 March 2026

Minister Ignored Commissioner’s Firearms Safety Advice

Minister Ellis has been playing politics with the serious issue of firearms reform for months, minimising the importance of the reform. In a letter revealed under RTI, the Police Ministers view is contradicted by the police Commissioner.

In her letter to the Minister, Police Commissioner Donna Adams echoes what the Greens, advocates and now Labor have been saying for weeks – to ensure our community safety, we need a cap on firearms.

When there’s excessive firearms in the community, there is more theft and misuse. This evidence is clear irrespective of Minister Ellis’ reckless spin to justify his inaction on their serious issue.

It is welcomed that the Police Commissioner has reinforced this point in powerful and compelling terms, advising the Minister caps on firearms were needed to keep the community safe.

Not only has Minister Ellis failed to act, but he kept this advice from the Commissioner secret.

Instead of listening to his own Commissioner’s advice and the stark evidence for community safety, the Minister for Police has been publicly campaigning against caps.

In the wake of the attack at Bondi attack and National Cabinet’s agreement on firearms reforms this is sickening behaviour.

Given the Minister refuses to do the right thing, it’s up to the Parliament. The Greens urge all MPs to get on board with passing a cap on firearm ownership.

Media Release – The Australia Institute, 17 March 2026

Gun Law Fail: Dodgy Licences Lead to Firearms Flood

Hundreds of thousands of gun owners have no genuine reason to have a firearm according to analysis released today by the Australia Institute.

To get a gun licence in Australia, applicants must provide a “genuine reason” to own a gun, such as working on farms or as a security guard.

Hundreds of thousands of gun licences have been issued for licensees to participate in recreational hunting and sports shooting. However, official data on sports participation shows that the number of people that actually participate in these activities is far lower.

This means that large numbers of gun owners do not use their guns for reason they claim they need them, raising questions about community safety and the effectiveness of Australia’s gun laws.

Key findings:

• In NSW alone, there are at up to 253,670 gun licences that list either sports shooting or recreational hunting as a genuine reason. However, only 36,000 people participate in either activity.
• This gap of more than 200,000 licenses shows that many people are giving misleading information or failing to update their gun licence conditions.
• Gun lobby groups boast that the genuine reason test can be satisfied “from the comfort of your own home”, simply by joining a shooting association.
• This has led to rapid growth in the financial resources of Australia’s gun lobby, with Sporting Shooters Association of Australia enjoying nearly $50 million in revenue each year. This is more money than Netball Australia receives even though five times more people play netball than participate in sports shooting.

“There are hundreds of thousands of people who don’t use their firearms for the reason on their licence, and that is a major concern,” said Rod Campbell, research director at the Australia Institute.

“The huge gap between those who say they need a gun for hunting or sports, and those who actually do either, exposes the façade that underpins gun licensing across this country.

“Australia’s firearm laws are rightly a point of national pride, but they can only keep Australians safe if they remain ironclad. Right now, this genuine reason loophole leaves the door wide open for someone with bad intentions to get around Australia’s firearm laws.

“This loophole has given gun clubs a guaranteed revenue stream and actually strengthened Australia’s gun lobby.

“We are now at a point where Australia’s main gun lobby group has a budget of over $50 million per year, more than Netball Australia even though five times more people play netball than go hunting or target shooting.

“There are more guns in Australia now than at any point in the country’s history, including before the Port Arthur massacre.

“Australians expect their gun laws to keep them safe, but our research shows that our state and territory licencing regimes are undermining the system and potentially putting people at risk.”