Tasmania election: Gun control row clouds Liberals victory

In 1996 Australia suffered the deadliest mass shooting in its history; 35 people gunned down
in the popular tourist spot of Port Arthur in Tasmania.

The Australian government's response was tough. Strict and highly successful new gun laws

that have been highlighted by activists in the US as a possible way forward there after

the recent killings at a Florida school.

So given the sensitivity, proposals by Tasmania's ruling Liberal government to ease firearms laws

as it headed into Saturday's state elections created a fierce debate.

Not least because of how apparently low-key the Liberals had kept the plans; laying them out in

a letter to a firearms consultation group but not posting them on the party website.

State Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Management Rene Hidding wrote the letter in

early February but the contents only became known on the eve of the election.

The Liberals have now been returned with a majority, their opponents have conceded defeat,

but the controversy over the gun issue is unlikely to go away.

Roland Browne from Gun Control Australia told ABC the Liberals

"need to be putting this policy forward well before an election and debating it",

arguing it went against the National Firearms Agreement (NFA), which was brought in after Port Arthur.

"It's a move against the NFA, which makes Tasmania a national embarrassment."

Federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten accused Tasmania Premier Will Hodgman of "backroom deals".

"Gun laws shouldn't be the subject of last-minute bargaining to chase a few votes," he said.

So what has been proposed? The main areas appear to be:

• Extending the gun licence duration from five to 10 years
• 
  
• Ending the mandatory removal of a weapon for minor breaches of storage
• 
  
• Discussions on allowing more users of Category C firearms,
• 
  
• potentially giving sports shooters access to rapid-fire and pump-action shotguns
• 
  
• Discussions on creating a new category to allow "certain specialists" to use banned guns

Mr Hodgman was adamant the proposals were not a watering down of the NFA and

denied there had been any attempt at concealment.

"Key stakeholders or those with an interest in this have been advised,

it's publicly available," he told ABC Radio.

Rene Hidding also insisted he was a strong supporter of the NFA and said the plans

"won't do anything which is inconsistent" with them.

(http://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-43270436)

I'm in Tasmania and supporter of our gun laws,
This is actually a non issue and is just a media beat up. Our gun laws are in the main federal, not state.
its just a tidy up and a more workable solution for the farmers etc. Tasmanian is a rural island state about the size of England with only 500k population.
Even the Opposition party (who I voted for and they lost) was going to do this.

Ignore everything in your post that said "discussion" and "potential". That wont and cannot happen due to federal law (and the population don't want it)