The Nationals’ Member for Eastern Victoria Region, Melina Bath, has stood with Field and Game member and law-abiding firearm owner Ryan Weeratunge on the steps of State Parliament to launch a new e-petition calling on the Allan Labor Government to properly enforce existing gun laws and reject rushed, ineffective changes.
In the wake of the devastating tragedy and amid growing concerns about extremist terrorism and hate crime, Ms Bath said community safety must always come first — but warned against hurried legislative responses that risk missing the real problem.
“What we witnessed was horrific, and Australians rightly want action to prevent terrorism, combat antisemitism and ensure Victorians are safe,” Ms Bath said.
“But changing laws in a hurry, without evidence, risks penalising responsible, law-abiding firearm owners like Ryan while failing to address the failures in intelligence, monitoring and enforcement that have underpinned serious incidents.”
Ryan is a licensed, law-abiding Australian who hunts duck and deer for his table and shares his harvest with family and friends. Like thousands of regional Victorians, he complies with Victoria’s already strict firearms laws and storage requirements.
Ms Bath said Victoria already has some of the toughest gun laws in the nation, and that past serious incidents have repeatedly involved individuals known to authorities — pointing to breakdowns in compliance, resourcing and enforcement, not gaps in legislation.
“The Nationals strongly support decisive action to prevent terrorism and keep Victorians safe, but any review of firearms laws must be evidence-led and free from pre-determined assumptions about lawful owners,” Ms Bath said.
The petition calls on the Allan Labor Government to:
- properly enforce existing firearms laws and fix compliance and resourcing gaps
- ensure the current Victorian review is evidence-based and transparent
- reject new restrictions unless clear, publicly available evidence shows they will improve safety
- guarantee genuine consultation with lawful firearm owners, sporting shooters and hunting organisations
Ms Bath urged Victorians to have their say.
“If you agree that community safety and common sense must go hand in hand, I encourage you to sign and share Ryan’s petition.”
Petition link: https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/get-involved/petitions/reject-changes-to-firearms-legislation-without-proper-consultation
