Topics: categorisation of weapons, small business tax cut
E&OE ….
RAF EPSTEIN:
Scott Ryan joins us, he is Malcolm Turnbull’s Special Minister of State, he is also the Minister Assisting the Cabinet Secretary Arthur Sinodinos, Scott Ryan, good morning.
SENATOR SCOTT RYAN:
Good morning Raf, how are you?
RAF EPSTEIN:
Is the seven-round shotgun ever going to be available in Australia?
SENATOR SCOTT RYAN:
The matter of the categorisation of these weapons, of these firearms, comes under the National Firearm Agreement and it requires the agreement of all the jurisdictions of Australia, all nine. Last year, when that agreement was not reached by all of those jurisdictions and the Commonwealth became aware of the fact there was a substantial import of, what is effectively, a new model of these quite old design weapons, we put in place that import ban hoping jurisdictions would reach agreement. That ban was, I understand, extended because that agreement has not been reached, but I understand they are close to having a resolution on that, which would lead to the categorisation of it and that would lead to its restriction. These weapons, these lever-action shotguns are already available.
RAF EPSTEIN:
But only the ones that fire five rounds, what we’re talking about here is the seven-round one.
SENATOR SCOTT RYAN:
Yes, so the Commonwealth Government will keep in place the import ban until the state jurisdictions decide how to categorise this particular firearm.
RAF EPSTEIN:
I just wonder what the Commonwealth position, what Malcolm Turnbull as Prime Minister, what his position is? He has said that the ban will stay until all of the different governments agree. He hasn’t said the Federal Government does not want a seven-round shotgun in the country. Is the ban indefinite from the point of view of the Federal Government?
SENATOR SCOTT RYAN:
The categorisation of weapons under the National Firearms Agreement is a matter for the states and territories, we have control over imports. We put in place an import ban to stop them being imported until the categorisation of this was determined. There are already legal lever-action shot guns here and they have been used, I understand, for decades …
RAF EPSTEIN:
Not a seven-round one.
SENATOR SCOTT RYAN:
… But not a seven-round one.
The real issue here with the confected outrage yesterday, Raf, was that when we are looking at the role of weapons, particularly used in crime, in our community, we have sought twice in the last Parliament to increase the penalties for illegal gun smuggling. On both occasions, Bill Shorten’s Labor Party stopped the progress of that legislation and blocked it.
RAF EPSTEIN:
And I understand the Coalition’s concern but that is a separate issue – illegal guns – because if, I’m not saying it isn’t an important issue, but it is separate because it does directly relate to votes in the Senate.
SENATOR SCOTT RYAN:
But the confected outrage from Bill Shorten yesterday about this, given that he blocked increased penalties for gun smuggling, has to be taken into account.
RAF EPSTEIN:
And I’m all for taking it into account. Can I put this to you Scott Ryan, you are Special Minister of State, if the Federal Government says, ‘you know what? Seven-round rapid fire shotgun, not an issue for us’. If that is not an issue for you, that could help you get votes in the Senate. That will be seen as horse-trading.
SENATOR SCOTT RYAN:
The Prime Minister made clear that wasn’t going to happen. He made that clear in the House of Representatives yesterday.
RAF EPSTEIN:
So the Federal Government’s position is that there is a ban on the seven-round shotgun?
SENATOR SCOTT RYAN:
We are keeping the import ban in place until the states and territories agree on how to categorise a lever-action shotgun and the new lever-action shotgun.
RAF EPSTEIN:
‘Until it is categorised’ is different to ‘ban forever’. They’re two different positions.
SENATOR SCOTT RYAN:
The Commonwealth doesn’t control gun licensing in Australia. There are four categories, there are currently lever-action shotguns that have been in the system for decades and that can be, as I understand, changed or altered to have increased numbers of rounds. They have been in the system for decades, they are categorised in a current way. When the Commonwealth became aware that a large number of new weapons were pending import, we put in place an import ban to stop that until the states and territories actually looked at the categorisation. We were aware of the risk. That ban remains in place and it will remain in place until that is finalised under the terms of the National Firearms Agreement
RAF EPSTEIN:
But if you don’t take a permanent position on a seven-round shotgun, David Leyonhjelm is effectively much more positive about the construction watchdog.
SENATOR SCOTT RYAN:
That is not going to happen. The Prime Minister made that clear, the Minister for Justice made that clear. The categorisation of these weapons and whether people are able to access them currently, in the community, is a matter for states and territories under the National Firearms Agreement. The Commonwealth has acted to prevent them coming in because this was a new wave and a large number of a new design of an old weapon.
Raf, again, the Labor Party’s confected outrage yesterday, in order to try and create a diversion to do what Bill Shorten’s been doing the last two months, which is to confect outrage and scream the sky is falling in. Yet his party votes against laws to increase penalties against gun smuggling. You can’t have credibility on access to firearms in this country if you’re blocking increased penalties and laws against gun smuggling.
RAF EPSTEIN:
1300 222 774 is the phone number. You can hear what the Government’s position is on the shotgun, also on illegal gun imports. Scott Ryan is the Special Minister of State.
Scott Ryan, a separate but important question. Nick Xenophon now seems clear, he and his Senators will not support a business tax cut for a business bigger than $10 million. Your long-term business tax cut plan is dead isn’t it if you can’t get Nick Xenophon’s support for it, you can’t deliver what you promised at the last election?
SENATOR SCOTT RYAN:
I haven’t been involved in discussions with Senator Xenophon on this, it is obviously a matter for the Treasurer, but I will say this. We will put our promises, which we took to the election, to Parliament. I hope that the Parliament respects those key elements that we saw a mandate for at the election, that the Parliament will respect those. I think it is important that governments be allowed to implement the policies that they made commitments on, I think that’s important for fulfilling public trust. Now , if the Labor Party and other Members of Parliament stand in the way of that then I think people will judge that, but we will try to implement the policies we took to the election. Let me again make this observation, the crossbenchers in the Senate only matter when the Labor Party and the Greens take an intransigent position which says, ‘it doesn’t matter how the people voted, we are going to try and cause trouble for the Government and the country’. They’re not acting in the national interest, they’re acting in their partisan interest. They are doing it on the Australian Building and Construction Commission despite the fact that, over the last few weeks, we’ve had discussions about the role of donations in politics, the CFMEU has given $2 million to the Labor Party over the past five years. The crossbenchers matter in the Senate when the Labor Party and the Greens act intransigently and don’t respect the mandate that the Government got at the election.
RAF EPSTEIN:
Interesting to see which way they vote on the business tax cuts. I have a feeling I know. Scott Ryan, thank you for your time.
(ENDS)