Thursday, 5 February 2026

 Tim BULL (Gippsland East) (09:47): ‘Our recreational pursuits and livelihoods are at stake. Don’t let us be the unintended victims of two nut cases in Sydney.’ This comment was made at a forum I hosted last week with respected ex-chief commissioner Ken Lay, who is conducting a firearms review in Victoria. Following the Bondi attacks, federal reforms are pushing the states to cap firearm ownership. This is a reaction to terrorism, not a solution. We already have some of the strictest gun laws in the world. Participants at the forum included elite shooters, hunters, farmers managing vermin, members of shooting clubs and a gun shop owner. They highlighted how disconnected gun ownership limits would be. One explained he requires seven guns just to shoot one discipline and up to 20 across the multiple disciplines he shoots.

But the impacts extend well beyond elite shooters. One explained that she hunts to supply food for her family but also to control pests on the family farm. She pointed out that different tasks require different firearms. What is used for sambar deer is overkill for a rabbit. Restricting guns will force people to hold on to the most powerful firearm option to meet all needs, a less safe outcome. Junior licence holders cannot own a gun; they must be in parents’ names. Under caps, parents could not have their children’s firearms and their own. Family heirlooms would have to be surrendered. The Bondi attackers used just three guns between them. This will do nothing to prevent those acts.