Pressure mounts on NSW Police Minister David Elliott to quit over shooting range probe
David Elliott has been bombarded by questions during budget estimates as police probe his visit to a shooting range.
Pressure is mounting on NSW Police Minister David Elliott to resign following revelations he handled two prohibited weapons without a licence during a visit to a shooting range in 2018.
The NSW Police Force has confirmed it is investigating Mr Elliott after photographs surfaced of him firing a semiautomatic pistol and a Heckler & Koch submachine gun without a permit.
As revealed by The Australian on Monday night, Mr Elliott handled the weapons at the John Morony Correctional Centre in Sydney’s northwest during September 2018. Photographs of the visit, and of Mr Elliott holding the weapons, were posted to Facebook.
At a budget estimates hearing on Tuesday, Mr Elliott was repeatedly asked whether he would step down from his portfolio while police continued their investigation.
The inquiry is set to examine whether Mr Elliott broke the law by handling the prohibited weapons, and whether the shooting range broke the law by allowing Mr Elliott, and others, to fire them without a permit.
Corrective Services NSW issued an apology to the Minister on Tuesday morning over what it termed an “administrative error” at the range.
“Why won’t you step down while the investigation is underway?” asked Greens MP David Shoebridge.
“I believe there was a mistake of fact while I was on the range, so I will await the advice of the investigation,” Mr Elliott replied. “If Corrections have done the wrong thing … well then this needs to be rectified.”
Mr Elliott took a number of questions on notice, including whether he had breached the ministerial code of conduct. He repeatedly stressed to the committee that he was acting in good faith when he picked up the weapons.
“I want to make sure the government is doing the right thing and if I’ve been found to have done something wrong, illegal, malicious … well I’ve got an answer for that. But at the moment I’m more concerned that we have a Corrections firing range which has not been complying with the law.”
Labor MP Rose Jackson then asked: “Minister, do you not understand that your intention in relation to holding and firing the weapons is probably irrelevant in whether this breach of the act has occurred?”
“It’s extremely relevant,” Mr Elliott replied.
NSW Department of Justice Secretary Michael Coutts-Trotter told the committee the department had “stuffed up” and owed an apology to the Minister and other dignitaries who fired weapons at the range. He said CSNSW had referred its investigation to the NSW Firearms Registry.
“We’ve embarrassed the minister greatly,” he said.
The police inquiry into Mr Elliott is the second formal investigation examining his behaviour over the past six months.
Late last year he resisted similar pressure to stand down during and after an investigation into an alleged road rage incident in which he was accused of impersonating a police officer.
An independent review subsequently found there was not enough evidence to take the matter further.
NSW Labor Deputy Leader Yasmin Catley said it was clear Mr Elliott had broken the law, and he therefore stand himself aside.
Failing that, Premier Gladys Berejiklian should stand him down.
“No one is above the law, and that is why the Premier must show leadership and she must sack him today for this illegal activity,” Ms Catley said.
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