Subjects: COAG meeting; handguns; water rights
E&OE...........
PRIME MINISTER:
Well ladies and gentlemen, I';d like to brief you on the just completed
COAG meeting.
I should explain the Premier of New South Wales because of the deteriorating
fire situation in and around Sydney has returned already. And I'm very
pleased to announce that we've had a very successful COAG meeting. The
most important area of agreement has been in relation to a very significant
strengthening of laws across Australian in relation to handguns.
The COAG meeting has endorsed the 28 resolutions made by the Australasian
Police Ministers' Council, and it';s been agreed that the legislative
and administrative measures should be in place by the 30th of June next
year. In two important respects the COAG decision has gone further than
the police ministers. We';ve agreed that handguns will be limited
to a maximum of 0.38 calibre except for specially accredited sporting
events where handguns up to 0.45 will be permitted and details of that
will be worked out quickly and endorsed by a committee of officials to
report to COAG. There has been consultation between the Minister for Police
and Customs and sporting shooters' organisations.
We';ve also noted the importance of removing easily concealable
handguns from the community and as a result we';ve gone further than
recommended by the police ministers in one other area, and we';ve
agreed that semi-automatic handguns with a barrel length of less than
120 millimetres, and revolvers and single shot handguns with a barrel
length of less than 100 millimetres will be prohibited. Highly specialised
target pistols, some of which have a barrel length of less than 120 millimetres
will be allowed.
Could I say that this is a very important step to making the streets
of Australia safer. I want to thank the Premiers and Chief Ministers for
the highly cooperative spirit and the united approach that';s come
out of this meeting. Issues involving the safety of the population should
always be above any differences of the partisan kind and that has provend
to be the case. We reached what I regard as an eminently reasonable understanding
relating to the cost. There will be a buyback, there will be an amnesty
of both legal and illegal guns. And the buyback will be funded initially
from the $15 million which is left over from the buyback monies from the
post Port Arthur buyback, and the rest the Commonwealth will meet two-thirds
and the states one-third. And I think it';s a very good arrangement.
We were very keen at the Commonwealth level to see the tightest possible
laws. The Premiers and Chief Ministers endorsed that approach and we have
reached a very happy understanding but importantly it';s an extremely
good outcome for Australia and this is particularly important for people
who are worried about crime and worried about the danger to their children
and to themselves. And I';ve frequently said and I';ll say it
again today there are many things I admire about America but one thing
I do not admire about the United States is their gun culture and I will
do everything I humanly can to make sure that culture never seeps into
Australia and spreads into the streets of Australia. I think the ready
availability of handguns is a curse in our kind of society and the more
that we can all do to take them out the better.
Could I report that we had a very good discussion on counter-terrorism
and security matters. We';ll be issuing a communique. We also dealt
with matters relating to water rights. We';ve agreed to circulate
the COAG paper of COAG officials and that matter obviously will be discussed
again at a subsequent meeting of COAG.
But I';d like to thank my colleagues, Premiers and Chief Ministers.
The last time we sat around here I think was stem cells legislation and
it';s coincidental that only yesterday the Senate passed the legislation
and I think that was a very good example of Commonwealth/State cooperation
and that';s what the Australian people want. They want these issues
tackled cooperatively and we';ve been able to do that and we';ve
done it again today with handguns and I think the Australian people will
welcome the result.
PREMIER BRACKS:
Could I just add a couple of comments to the Prime Minister';s assessment
of COAG today. It was an excellent COAG meeting. Very productive, very
cooperative and agreement was reached on almost every item associated
with the COAG agenda. Can I also indicate that the decision made on handguns
is an important decision for the nation and a very important decision
also for Victoria. That means effectively that there's going to be 20
% less handguns now available as a result of a buy-back, restrictions
on some calibres and some types of guns, the handing in of handguns and
the buy-back of those handguns. That takes out of circulation about 20
% of the current handguns that are circulating around our community currently.
I think this is a stunning outcome, a very good outcome, when you think
that the Police Ministers were, at some stage, recommending a different
option which would have meant about 6 % reduction in handguns. The Prime
Minister, the Territory leaders and the Premiers agreed today we should
lift that to 20 % and to make it a tougher and a harder regime that's
important for the safety of our community and I think it's one which we
can all be proud of and I'm very pleased to be a part of that today.
RANN:
Say on behalf on South Australia that I think that we would have let
down the people of Australia today if we hadn't have come out with a very
strong agreement for a major toughening up of the rules relating to handguns.
Every Australian that I meet wants a safer Australia, particularly in
regard to recent events. So this is a substantial, and I think a historic,
agreement between the Federal Government of the States and Territories
to limit, as Steve Bracks said, a 20 % reduction in the number of handguns
available in Australia with a range of other restrictions. In South Australia,
we are actually doing some other things, we are converting firearms offences
that are summary offences into much more serious offences with very hefty
penalties and times in jail. We're also taking action in relation to outlaw
motorcycle gangs. All of us, I think, would be concerned by the fact that
so much crime in Australia seems to come out of outlaw motorcycle gangs
who build fortresses in our cities and we've just announced legislation
that will allow, with the arrangements with the Police Commissioner, for
us to bulldoze bikie fortresses. So this is across the board, I think,
a major step forward to make Australia a safer place.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Howard and Mr Bracks, you say that 20 % of guns are going to be removed
but both of you wanted stronger plans - 27, 30 % of guns. Is this in any
way watered down what you have…?
PRIME MINISTER:
No, it's not.
JOURNALIST:
A stronger option originally.
PREMIER BEATTIE:
No.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Rann, can I ask if you support today's decision…
PRIME MINISTER:
Who are you talking to?
JOURNALIST:
Mr Rann. Why did South Australia originally refuse to sign onto that
agreement at the Police Ministers meeting?
PREMIER RANN:
This is a different agreement on a different area. I mean, what we've
done is actually now reached a different funding formula which we're now
happy with and also, of course, there has been an understanding between
us on how it will apply. As I said, the people of Australia did not want
to see Premiers and Prime Ministers and Chief Ministers disagreeing on
something of such fundamental importance such as the safety of Australians.
So, you know we think that a very good agreement has come out of this
both in terms of the nature and the extent of the buy-back and also the
funding arrangements.
BEATTIE:
To answer your question, everyone acted here today in the national interest.
Yes, there were various models consulted, but when we sat down we wanted
to act in the national interest. And these issues are difficult. I mean,
I know in parts of Queensland there'll be some people who may have some
criticism, but I appeal to all those people regardless of where they are
to think about the national interest because the people who lose today
are the criminals, the people who have illegal handguns. We're talking
about concealed handguns and frankly, I agree with the Prime Minister.
I think that is simply unacceptable in a civilised society to have people
with concealed handguns who are not involved in some law enforcement agency.
JOURNALIST:
The Prime Minister threatened to put a curse on Queensland New South
Wales and South Australia over its intransigence over this matter. I mean,
have relations gotten better since then?
PRIME MINISTER:
… a colouful phrase…
PREMIER BEATTIE:
… Well let me put it in these terms. I've never felt way about
the Prime Minister. He's always…
PRIME MINISTER:
No, no.
PREMIER BEATTIE:
He's always been very warm in relation to Queensland and I know it's
one of his favourite places…
PRIME MINISTER:
It is.
PREMIER BEATTIE:
And I'm hoping to encourage him to holiday very recently.
PRIME MINISTER:
Queensland treats me very well, too, so…
PREMIER BEATTIE:
[inaudible] I';m not quite sure…
JOURNALIST:
In terms of the amnesty, what period are we talking about and do you
have any estimates on what the totality the buy-back might be in terms
of the cost?
PRIME MINISTER:
The amnesty's from the 1st of July 2003 until the 1st of January 2004.
The estimates vary quite a lot. I'm not going to at this stage commit
myself to a precise figure, I'm really not going to do that. They do vary
a lot. Could I just take up the point that Phil Hudson asked about watering
down, our position always was that providing you could have a sensible
discipline carve-out for genuine sporting shooters you should get rid
of the rest and that's essentially what's happened.
PREMIER BRACKS:
Could I just add on to those comments from the Prime Minister to talk
also that a resolution today is almost three times as strong as that which
was recommended by the Police Minister. This is toughened up. This is
20% of handguns coming out of the community. This is a very strong robust
regime and one which makes us much safer.
PRIME MINISTER:
It does go, in two important respects, significantly beyond the Police
Ministers' recommendation. I mean, that is the point.
JOURNALIST:
How many types of handguns? The Police Ministers have previously discussed
it in numbers of types, how many types of handguns will be banned and
do you know how many individual guns?
PRIME MINISTER:
I think we are banning some hundreds, I think about 350, 300 - 350.
PREMIER BEATTIE:
But it doesn't remove though - we need to be really clear - it doesn't
remove the competitiveness for Olympic gold medallists or Commonwealth
gold medallists to get on and be internationally competitive and that's
the strength. It protects the community but allows our athletes to be
able to compete and train.
JOURNALIST:
[Inaudible] last Police Ministers' meeting looked at an option of up
to 400 types of handguns. Do you believe that the argument over funding
effectively ruled that off the table?
PRIME MINISTER:
No, in the end the funding thing did not result in a weaker arrangement.
Can I make that clear. It would be wrong of anybody to go away from here
thinking that in some way because of money we ended up with a weaker regime.
We ended up with a regime that does exactly what Peter Beattie said. It
takes the guns away from people who shouldn't have them other than those
who want to engage in Olympic, Commonwealth Games and other recognised
sporting shooting events. And that was the template that I had in mind
when I started talking about this a couple of months ago and I';m
personally very happy with this outcome. It's beyond the Police Ministers.
It's tougher than what they recommended and I think it will be very widely
welcomed in the community. But the sporting shooters have been properly
accommodated and I think any reasonable sporting shooter will see this
as a fair outcome. There will be some people unhappy with it, that's always
the case, but I think by and large a reasonable sporting shooter will
say, well, in an ideal world we might have wished it hadn't happened but
we don't live in an ideal world, we have lunatics in the community, criminals,
who want to use guns and the Governments have done the right thing by
the public but they've also given us an opportunity to continue our sport
under proper conditions and restrictions. And I think that is the sensible
outcome and it's an outcome that Australians will welcome.
JOURNALIST:
What progress was made on water property rights reform?
PRIME MINISTER:
I beg your pardon?
JOURNALIST:
Water property rights reform, what progress was made?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, we discussed the issue. There's obviously a range of views on it.
The concrete things to come out of today's meeting is that we've agreed
to circulate the paper prepared by the Chief Executives' COAG paper and
that details a possible water rights regime. We'll be seeking reaction
on that. That was something that we always knew would need to be the procedure.
There are a range of views on it and obviously there will be debate in
the future on funding. The Commonwealth put on the table a paper outlining
its position. That was noted but obviously not agreed at this stage. I
didn't expect it to be and I didn't seek agreement for it but it's certainly
on the table. Our position is known. The Premiers made their contributions
and outlined the approaches they were taking. This is a difficult issue.
I think we've made a good start. I think there's a recognition of the
need to have, I think, a nationally compatible approach. There will be
debate about points at which compensation becomes payable. There'll be
some who will say it should be the certain point, others will say it should
be a later. We haven't attempted to reach agreement on that but we've
opened the batting and scored a few runs and haven't lost any wickets.
So I think that's a good start.
PREMIER BEATTIE:
Sorry, before we do this can I just answer your question on this, because
you initially raised it with me, I';m sorry, I just want to make
it clear. I';m not complaining Prime Minister, there are times when
I prefer these questions to go to you Prime Minister and this one, in
fact I';d like to refer a few more your way. But Prime Minister there
are just two points I want to make in this, Queensland';s obviously
signed off on this issue in terms of the COAG agreement today and the
communique, we have clear views on it but there are two things that are
not understood properly in my view. One is that we do need to have, if
we';re going to have reform in relation to water and salinity, and
the Prime Minister';s led in the relation to the issue of salinity
and the states have signed up previously to support the Prime Minister';s
initiative in salinity. But we need to maintain clear ability to bring
about reform and to do it in a way that protects the environment, to give
blanket property rights in my view at an early stage without those reforms
would deny that. Secondly, and I want to make this very clear 'cause this
is not understood in this debate, we have in Queensland and other states
have the same thing, particularly New South Wales, water resource management
plans which are for a period of time, for example 10 years. If there is
any alteration to the water allocation during those 10 years then people
are entitled to compensation, now that is guaranteed by legislation, my
government bought that in recently, the Prime Minister';s made the
point about the need for that to be done at a national level and for co-ordination
and I share his view about it. But don';t anyone think that there
is not already in place as part of water resource management strategies
appropriate compensation if those plans are put in place that are environmentally
and socially sustainable.
JOURNALIST:
What will be the penality for continuing to have these guns after the
amnesty';s over?
PRIME MINISTER:
Severe. I think there are some jail terms aren';t there? Yes there
will be some jail terms. Look I just can';t tell you precisely, there
will be very severe penalties. If they';re not severe enough there';ll
be made even more severe.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister does this ban include those models of guns used in the
Monash shootings.
PRIME MINISTER:
I think it takes out all but one or two.
JOURNALIST:
… Premiers and Chief Ministers believe they have an obligation
under competition policy to compensate farmers for lost water rights?
BRACKS:
Well the question';s premature.
PREMIER BEATTIE:
Cause this is being evaluated now, the discussion papers are being released,
we all express views, that';s an issue for the future, I';ve
already spelled out my answer to you.
JOURNALIST:
Does that mean no?
PRIME MINISTER:
No look I agree with my two colleagues, on both the left and the right,
that this, that is premature, we have as I said opened the batting on
it and we';ll just see how the game progresses, but we';ve started.
JOURNALIST:
John Anderson wasn';t allowed to come to the wicket, were you disappointed
that the other leaders wouldn';t let him in the room?
PREMIER BEATTIE:
Oh look the basic decision was that we felt that the whole COAG process
is focused around the leaders and it';s no discourtesy to John, that';s
a very important principle, I have a high regard for John personally,
it';s no discourtesy to him, it';s the process and this is where
leaders sit down.
JOURNALIST:
Given they';ve got a clean sweep of the states, do you think it
was a little churlish of them to lock Mr Anderson out?
PRIME MINISTER:
Look, I';m in furious agreement with everybody and most particularly
the Deputy Prime Minister and there';s no more a gracious and courteous
person in public life. But you know Peter';s expressed the view of
the Premiers and a very non- rancorous meeting.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Beattie, has Mr Anderson';s contribution to this debate been
helpful?
PRIME MINISTER:
Are you talking to me?
JOURNALIST:
No Mr Beattie.
PRIME MINISTER:
Mr Anderson';s contributions are always helpful.
JOURNALIST:
No Mr Beattie.
PREMIER BEATTIE:
Of course he is, you';ve got to remember this is an open society,
it';s a democracy, people are entitled to express their views. What
we';re simply trying to do here is to manage a very complex issue
in a structure way which is what';s been agreed today. You';ve
got to remember this issue is close to the heart of a lot of people but
we want to have long-term land management strategies which are sustainable.
What';s forgotten in this debate is, and I don';t see it in
any of the reports people write about this, and I say this with respect
to all of you, that we have already legislated for compensation provided
there was a water resource plan in place that takes into regard not just
social implications but environmental implications for the future. Now
no-one can sensibly suggest to me in an arid nation that we should pursue
plans and strategies that don';t take into account river flows, land
use, salinity, I mean that would be simply insane. Now we want to keep
appropriate powers in place until we get the reforms to protect the land.
[ends]
COAG Communique
Water
Property Rights - COAG Paper (http://www.affa.gov.au)