Thursday, 10 March 2022

Firearms licensing

Mr QUILTY (Northern Victoria) (12:11): My question is for the minister representing the Minister for Police. Jenny is a 74-year-old resident of the Bellarine Peninsula, in the police minister’s own electorate. She has legally held firearms since 1970 and boasts an unblemished police record. She was recently involved in a minor dispute with a neighbour. Jenny scolded her neighbour’s kids when she noticed them fighting, and presumably the neighbour was not pleased with her unsolicited assistance. Shortly after the dispute, police arrived at the 74-year-old’s home. They did not gather any additional information or ask Jenny what happened; they just seized her firearms and suspended her licence. Police claim Jenny is no longer a fit and proper person, and without due process her property was taken from her. Police are required to provide a summary of the grounds for a licence suspension, but in Jenny’s case this section of the paperwork was left blank. Minister, why are Victoria Police suspending firearm licences without providing reasons, even when police procedures require a reason to be given?

Ms TIERNEY (Western Victoria—Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education) (12:12): Thank you, Mr Quilty, for your question. It will be directed to the Minister for Police. But I have got to say that is a very specific individual case that you have provided, and I would imagine that the minister will need to be furnished with more information than what was contained in that question, so I would suggest that you forward that to the minister’s office.

Mr QUILTY (Northern Victoria) (12:13): Thank you, Minister. It seems unlikely that this is an isolated incident. People who have their firearms licences suspended and their firearms seized are often given little or no explanation. Police have sweeping powers to confiscate firearms, and the owners have few avenues to protest. Firearms are not cheap. These seizures often mean the police are taking thousands of dollars worth of property seemingly at random and without explanation. We know that police record keeping and storage practices are substandard and that firearms have disappeared from storage while others have been wrongly sent for destruction due to administrative error. When property is seized wrongly, there is no guarantee that it will be returned on appeal. Minister, how many firearms licence suspensions and firearms confiscations have been overturned on appeal in the last decade?

Ms TIERNEY (Western Victoria—Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education) (12:13): I thank Mr Quilty for his supplementary question, which was really a preamble of a lot of allegations. But we got to the question right at the end, and that question will be provided to the minister for her response.