John Howard to launch national petition against relaxing of gun laws

JOHN Howard is still fighting for tougher gun laws. The former PM is about to launch the latest weapon in his anti-gun offensive.

John Howard is on a mission

FORMER prime minister John Howard and anti-gun campaigner Walter Mikac will today launch a national petition against relaxing Australia’s tough gun laws.

The move follows concerns states have begun watering down tough gun control laws introduced by Mr Howard following the Port Arthur massacre.

Mr Mikac, whose wife, Nanette, and daughters Alannah, 6, and Madeline, 3, were among 35 killed by Martin Bryant in the 1996 mass shooting, has campaigned tirelessly against guns and for children’s safety in the 20 years since the shooting.

Walter Mikac, whose wife and two daughters were among 35 people shot dead at Australia's worst ever massacre, will join Mr Howard in launching the petition.

The issue of gun ownership in Australia has been revived as this year marks the 20th anniversary of the massacre, when the tough laws were introduced.

Despite the harsh crackdown introduced by the Howard government, guns continue to kill people and gun-related offences regularly clog up Australia’s courts and jails.

In Victoria, the number of gun-related offences have more than doubled in the past decade, according to the Herald Sun.

Mr Howard made comments earlier this week, suggesting the gun laws were “not adequate”, and suggested a “sensible strengthening of the existing laws”.

Former prime minister John Howard introduced the tough gun laws following the mass shooting at Port Arthur. Picture: Ray Strange

Justice Minister Michael Keenan denied the former prime minister suggested current gun laws were inadequate.

“I saw the former prime minister’s comments and he didn’t say that,” he said in Brisbane on Wednesday.

“The gun laws that we have in place at the moment are the gun laws that he very courageously put in place in 1996 in conjunction with the state and territories.”

John Howard and Walter Mikac pictured together in 1997 for the launch of Alannah and Madeline Foundation. The pair have been campaigning against guns for 20 years.

Mr Keenan said the federal government would do everything in its power to ensure the current National Firearms Agreement remained in place.

“There’s no plans to change what has been a very successful gun control agreement in Australia,” he said.

But he did say he planned to discuss with state and territory counterparts the possibility of another gun amnesty.

“If it was required, we would look at that,” he said.