WA gun laws: Police seize 20 guns a day as firearm prohibition order laws get bogged down in Parliament

Cops have seized almost 3500 firearms in six months — an average of 20 a day — since the State Government announced plans to give police sweeping new powers to keep guns out of the hands of bikies. More than 600 of these weapons — some of which are pictured here, including a stolen shotgun and pistols — were linked to crimes including murders, attempted murders, drive-by shootings and drug deals. This included the recent seizure of meth, $350,000 cash and five firearms, including two that were stolen and another illegally manufactured, from a northern suburbs home. It’s understood the force’s top brass have been left extremely concerned these seizures were just a fraction of the real number of guns currently in the hands of criminals. Senior police recently met with the State Government to urgently request that new laws to create firearm prohibition orders be pushed through State Parliament. Under the changes, the Police Commissioner would be able to ban anyone reasonably suspected of posing a threat to life or property from holding a firearms licence, being in a property where guns are likely to be stored or near anyone who has a gun. Once a 10-year order has been served, police can stop and search that person and anyone in their company without a warrant. If caught with an illegal gun, the prohibited person could be jailed for up to 14 years. Police Minister Paul Papalia announced the crackdown six months ago and introduced the bill to Parliament in late February. Its passage has since been slowed by lengthy debate in the Legislative Council. “The State Opposition appears to be playing politics with the anti-bike laws, the laws which police say will make it easier for them to take these illegal guns off our street,” he said. “We’ve been trying to pass these laws at the request of police for six weeks. The Opposition is delaying the vote and the concern is, that delay could cost lives.” Labor controls Parliament so it is inevitable the bill will eventually pass without change. Shadow Police Minister Peter Collier, however, would not commit the Opposition to allowing a vote this week. “The Minister needs to pick up his dummy and acknowledge that even though the Labor Party has complete control of both houses of the Parliament that doesn’t mean that the Legislative Council won’t perform its legitimate role and scrutinise vital pieces of legislation,” Mr Collier said. “This is one such bill. Our concerns with this bill rest around the potential for the legislation to have unintended consequences for legitimate gun owners ... having said this, the Opposition is extremely supportive of the overall intent of the bill to remove guns from outlaw motorcycle gangs.”