Tasmania debates firearm reform and ownership caps

The Tasmanian parliament is set to debate firearm reform legislation during the week of September 8. While the governing Liberal government has proposed laws that reclassify certain shotguns to Category C and introduce Australian citizenship requirements for owners, the proposal does not include a cap on the number of firearms an individual can own.

The Labor opposition and the Greens are criticizing the current proposal as insufficient. Labor intends to introduce amendments to cap gun ownership at five firearms for individuals and 10 for primary producers and competitive shooters. Independent MPs have expressed varying levels of support for these caps, with some noting that gun ownership should be treated as a privilege rather than a right.

In a separate incident, Tasmania Police seized 21 firearms and two silencers from a 67-year-old man in the Northern Midlands following a random inspection. Police reported several legislative breaches, including the improper storage of ammunition alongside firearms and the lack of a required electronic security device for a holder with more than 10 firearms. The individual will be summoned to court, and his license will be reviewed.