Thursday 26 March 2026
Petition Debate - Proportionate, evidence based and consultative firearms policy
Mrs JUDY HANNAN (Wollondilly) (17:40):
Petition Debate - Proportionate, evidence based and consultative firearms policy, On Thursday 26 March 2026, the Legislative Assembly of New South Wales debated an ePetition presented to the Parliament by Roy Butler MP, Member for Barwon, calling on the Legislative Assembly to ensure that firearms policy and legislation is proportionate, evidence-based and consultative.
If an ePetition gets 20,000 signatures, it is debated in the Chamber. Debates feature members who speak to the petition including the relevant Minister.
This petition reached over 98,000 eSignatures in a short time.
I spoke to the debate, Judy Hannan MP, State Member for Wollondilly.
By leave:
By leave: I thank the member for Barwon for putting the petition together and the people from my electorate who emailed me during this process. Their concerns were coming so thick and fast that it felt like 98,000 of the petitioners were in my electorate. I speak not in opposition to safety but in support of it when it is grounded in evidence, proportionality and meaningful consultation. Firearms policy is a serious matter.
It affects public safety, rural livelihoods, sporting communities and the trust that citizens place in institutions. That is precisely why our approach must be careful, balanced and led by evidence, not assumptions, reaction or ideology. New South Wales already had some of the most robust firearms laws in the world.
Where reforms are proposed, they should be justified by clear data. What problem are we solving? What evidence supports the change? What unintended consequences might follow? Proportionality matters, and regulation should match the level of risk, not exceed it. Overreach can erode compliance, strain resources and undermine confidence while failing to deliver meaningful improvements in safety. Consultation matters just as much.
Farmers, licensed owners, sporting shooters, law enforcement, public health experts and community representatives all bring valuable perspectives, and none of them have been consulted. Policy should be made not only for people but with them. That is stronger, fairer and more effective.
We are not asking for weaker laws. We are asking for smarter ones that are transparent in purpose, measurable in outcomes and adaptable as new evidence emerges. Let us commit to a standard that every change to firearms policy in New South Wales is evidence-based, proportionate to risk and shaped through genuine consultation. That is how we uphold both public safety and public trust.