When the National Agreement on Gun Laws came about in 1996 following the Port Arthur tragedy the matter of guns was addressed but not the crucially important area of shooter safety training. Prime Minister John Howard led the way in 1996.

Over the last two years the Police Ministers Council have examined the ‘Firearms Safety Test’ and reached their decision. That decision marks a great setback for community and the Federal Government who have not achieved either of the two fundamental improvements necessary to ensure that shooters are properly trained and tested.

“Only minor improvement has taken place in the length of time that shooters will be trained” said GCA spokesperson Randy Marshall ” but that amounts to little if the testing of applicants is trivial”.

Mr Marshall said ” We know that testing of knowledge and respect for public safety have been in the hands of shooters themselves in most jurisdictions and that this has not been of sufficient standard or concerned with safety of the community to warrant public respect”. ” We know that in Victoria over 99.9% of those who take the firearm safety test pass” said Mr Marshall: “this suggests that either the training is childishly and dangerously simple or that applicants are coached through the test questions, or both”.

Mr Marshall said “The Queensland and NSW Police Ministers have informed us that the safety courses are in the hands of private trainers and they do no know how many applicants take the course or what percentage of applicants pass”.

“The Howard government has led the public to believe that our gun laws protect us” said Mr Marshall, “but letting shooters train and credentialise shooters is a recipe for disaster, as was shown in the shooting death of Gary Paterson who died at Warburton while walking his dog”. “Mr Howard has gone overboard in his desire to privatise gun laws”.

Mr Marshall said “The strict laws on guns have been ridiculed by weak laws on shooters”. “Mr Howard should ensure that the Firearms Safety Course is placed into the hands of the TAFE Colleges so that proper standards are effected”.

Mr Marshall continued “Because of the importance of proper firearm safety training to public welfare GCA has challenged Opposition leader Kim Beazley to maintain the tough gun laws which Prime Minister Howard once supported”.