One Nation takes aim with firearms policy

One Nation has taken aim at the recently published National Firearms Agreement while launching its own firearms policy.

Senator Pauline Hanson

One Nation has taken aim at the recently published National Firearms Agreement. (AAP)

Queensland's One Nation leader Steve Dickson has taken aim at the new National Firearms Agreement in launching the party's policy ahead of the upcoming state election.

Reduced waiting periods before buying handguns, protecting private gun club membership lists, and online licence applications are all on the table under One Nation's policy.

A statement issued by Mr Dickson on Friday details a 21-point policy that seeks to "move away from trying to criminalise firearms ownership".

It comes after the new National Firearms Agreement was published on the attorney-general's department website in recent weeks.

The agreement sets out minimum requirements in relation to gun regulation but states and territories can adopt more restrictive regulations.

Now the deal has been updated, it is up to them to bring legislation and regulations in line with the agreement.

The new NFA details a system of "graduated access" to handguns for legitimate sporting shooters over a 12-month period, including a police check and mandatory firearm safety training course.

Lashing out at the unratified agreement, Mr Dickson said the NFA would have "huge impacts" on sporting shooters' clubs, their members, law-abiding recreational firearms users and primary producers across the state.

"As a licensed firearm owner and sporting shooter, I understand the need for sensible, practical firearms legislation," he said.

The One Nation policy wants the waiting period before purchase for handguns to be brought down so it's in line with the 28-day time frame required for other firearm categories.

It also states membership lists for gun clubs should be "legally exempt" from requests by external parties without a warrant "to prevent criminals or anti-firearm activists" getting them.

Another key element would reduce minimum competition participation requirements for pistol shooters each year.

"This provides no safety benefit and is simply an onerous bureaucratic requirement," the policy reads.


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2 min read
Published 17 March 2017 6:12pm
Source: AAP


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