Thursday, 19 February 2026

 Jeff BOURMAN (Eastern Victoria) (12:35): I am not going to tell you how old I am, just old enough.

My question is for the minister representing the Minister for Police in the other place. Minister, firearms law has been a hot topic across Australia since the Bondi terrorist incident. Only one state, New South Wales, made any changes, with the ACT slavishly following. New South Wales enacted laws eight days after the incident, an Olympic-level blame shift from a gross failure of government to law-abiding shooters. It will now be impossible to hold an actual Olympic event – biathlon – as straight-pull target rifles are used, as well as supervised come-and-try days. Also, in what is an egregious assault on natural justice, the ability to appeal a decision of the New South Wales Firearms Registry to NCAT is gone. They have said there is still an avenue of appeal to the Supreme Court, but very few will be able to afford that. Minister, with six of the eight states not doing any of these so-called reforms after Bondi, it is clearly not a unanimous response. Will Victoria stand with the law-abiding shooters and commit to keeping the robust and workable system we have now?

 Enver ERDOGAN (Northern Metropolitan – Minister for Casino, Gaming and Liquor Regulation, Minister for Corrections, Minister for Youth Justice) (12:36): I thank Mr Bourman for his question and his passion on this matter. I will make sure that is passed on to the Minister for Police in the other place for a response in line with the standing orders.

 Jeff BOURMAN (Eastern Victoria) (12:36): Thank you, Minister. My supplementary question is: given the Bondi incident was a result of governmental failure, will Victoria follow the example of the other states and commit to intelligence-led processes to ensure that people who should not have access to legal firearms do not?

 Enver ERDOGAN (Northern Metropolitan – Minister for Casino, Gaming and Liquor Regulation, Minister for Corrections, Minister for Youth Justice) (12:36): I thank Mr Bourman for his supplementary question. In line with the standing orders, I will pass that on to the Minister for Police in the other place for a response.