Three years after Wieambilla massacre, state government won’t commit to gun reform
State Coroner Terry Ryan’s findings after an inquest into the deaths of two police officers and a neighbour at Wieambill were sensible. The government must act to implement them as quickly as possible.
After the Wieambilla shootings shook Queenslanders to the core in 2022, our leaders of all political backgrounds made a promise that this must never happen again.
But here we are, almost three years after that horrific tragedy, and the Crisafulli government will not yet commit to overhauling gun laws to ensure mental health checks for gun owners.
Last month, State Coroner Terry Ryan handed down his long-awaited findings into the tragic deaths of Constables Matthew Arnold and Rachel McCrow, and civilian Alan Dare.
One of his recommendations was for the government to review the feasibility of a mandatory mental health assessment for weapons licence applicants.
This would follow in the footsteps of legislation already existing in Western Australia.
The Crisafulli government did not exactly spring out the blocks after the recommendations were finalised with an unequivocal affirmation that all would be implemented.
When asked specifically about the weapons recommendation, Police Minister Dan Purdie’s office only replied: “The Queensland government will closely consider all findings and recommendations made by the state coroner”.
The LNP’s links to pro-gun organisations, along with its acceptance of hefty donations from weapons suppliers, are raising concerns the government might not follow through and implement this sensible measure.
The Saturday Courier-Mail’s in-depth analysis of the issue shows multiple government MPs have met several times with pro-gun groups this year, including some who have pumped more than $100,000 into the party.
Gun control advocates are now openly expressing fears the LNP’s more conservative members and links to shooting organisations will block the reform.
Mr Purdie alone has had four meetings with gun groups since the October election.
Those groups include The Shooters Union, Sporting Shooters Association of Australia (SSAA) and NIOA while Mr Purdie also met with one gun safety group – Gun Control Australia – in July.
The families of the Wieambilla victims have made it clear that real change needs to happen for this tragedy to not be repeated.
Speaking on behalf of the McCrow and Arnold families, Rachel McCrow’s mother Judy reinforced that position last month as an inquest into the murders wound up.
“From the outset, we’ve stressed any coronial recommendation must prevent a tragedy like this happening again,” she said.
Common sense has to prevail.
This is not an issue that should be influenced by politics.
As gun control campaigner Walter Mikac says, “you want there to be a legacy” out of such unimaginable tragedy.
And he should know – his wife Nanette and their two young daughters Alannah, 6, and Madeline, 3, were among 35 people gunned down by Martin Bryant in the tiny Tasmanian town of Port Arthur on April 28, 1996.
Mr Ryan’s recommendations were sensible, level headed and did not, at first glance, require significant taxpayer expenditure to implement.
The government must ensure his recommendations – including on guns – are implemented as swiftly as possible to help this state avoid another tragedy.
Originally published as Three years after Wieambilla massacre, state government won’t commit to gun reform
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