The parents of police murdered in a 2022 ambush in western Queensland have thrown their support behind the federal government’s proposed gun buyback scheme in the wake of the Bondi beach terror attack.
The Guardian understands that the state LNP government decided not to support the buyback program at a marathon cabinet meeting on Monday.
Constables Rachel McCrow and Matthew Arnold, and civilian Alan Dare, were gunned down by conspiracy theorists suffering mental delusions at a remote property near Wieambilla in 2022.
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has called on the states to jointly fund and help administrate a gun buyback scheme, similar to the 1996-97 buyback implemented after the Port Arthur massacre. Tasmania and the Northern Territory have already announced they will not participate.
Speaking on behalf of the families of both officers, Rachel’s mother, Judy McCrow, called for gun reform.
“We fully support the federal government in its plan to tighten guns laws and promote the national gun buyback scheme,” she said.
“A recent research report by the Australia Institute found that theft of legal guns is now the main source of illegal guns in Australia.”
Sign up: AU Breaking News email
A coronial inquest into the Wieambilla shootings revealed deficiencies in Australia’s weapons licensing registration programs and recommended the state consider the introduction of mandatory mental health assessments for weapons licence applicants. In 2023 national cabinet signed off on a national firearms register to be developed by 2028.
McCrow called for an end to political “bickering”.
“As highlighted in both the Bondi and Wieambilla tragedies, even previous law-abiding gun owners can change for the worse.”
State parties clashed over the issue on Tuesday, with the Labor leader, Steven Miles, accusing the premier, David Crisafulli, of dodging media questions and undermining community safety.
State cabinet met for four-and-a-half hours on Monday to consider legislation produced by the police minister, Dan Purdie, and attorney general, Deb Frecklington. A government spokesperson said on Monday that cabinet had committed to introducing hate and gun control legislation on the first day of parliament, which is 10 February.
The housing minister, Sam O’Connor, the only government politician to hold a press conference in Brisbane on Tuesday, gave few details about the legislation but implied it would need to be considered by cabinet again.
“We’re putting together a comprehensive piece of work in terms of the police minister’s work as well, and it will be ready to go for that first sitting week of parliament in just over a couple of weeks’ time,” O’Connor said.
He repeatedly responded that questions about the policy would best be put to Crisafulli, Purdie and Frecklington, none of who took questions on Tuesday.
Miles said the government was backing away from a buyback and was effectively “vetoing or making ineffective” the national scheme.
He said Queensland would “become a refuge for those dangerous guns and dangerous people, which will make Queensland a more dangerous place”.
“David Crisafulli likes to say he is tough on crime, but you cannot be tough on crime while you are soft on guns. These steps could see these people and these guns attracted to Queensland,” Miles said.
NSW parliament passed an omnibus counter-terror bill on Christmas Eve. Under the legislation, only Australian citizens can hold a firearm licence, and they are typically limited to owning just four guns. It also allows the police to ban protests after a terrorism incident.
The lower house of federal parliament passed its own gun reform legislation on Tuesday, over the opposition of the Coalition. It is expected to pass the Senate with the support of the Greens.
