Mr COBB(4.10 p.m.) —I am happy to be associated with this excellent motion. I would like to deal, in the short time available to me, with some of the objections that people have raised with my office to the proposed gun control laws. In doing so, can I say I have had several hundred people approach my office opposing what the Prime Minister (Mr Howard) has put forward which has been supported by nearly every member in this chamber.

I did a survey of these approaches the other day and 98 per cent of the objections were from males. To the best of my judgment, 90 per cent were in excess of 50 years old and 95 per cent were in excess of 40 years old. The concern in this area seems to be primarily an elderly male one—and make of that what you will. If I may deal with some of the objections, they say that these proposals `brand innocent people as criminals'. I think this was best answered by Associate Professor Simon Chapman, who, in the Sydney Morning Herald, said:

This is rather like feeling insulted at being required to open your bag at the supermarket checkout, at having to walk through a metal detector at an airport, at being pulled over for random breath-testing.

I remind these people that you cannot identify who will offend. Only 15 per cent of those who do offend have a previous history of mental instability.

Another objection that is coming in thick and fast to my office is that this transgresses the 1688 Bill of Rights, which guarantees you the right to bear arms. I have looked up the Bill of Rights, and it says:

That the subjects which are protestants may have arms for their defence suitable to their conditions and as allowed by law.

Leaving out the offensive fact that this rules out Catholics, Jews, Muslims and everybody else having the right to own arms, it seems to me that, even if we conceded the fact that the Bill of Rights can be amended from time to time according to the conditions of the country, it perfectly fits the Bill of Rights. It says that you may hold arms `suitable to their conditions and as allowed by law'. That is all we are doing. We are certainly not banning all firearms.

Another objection is that the legislation that is being proposed was drawn up in 1981. Apart from the fact that it is not true—the legislation has not yet been drawn up—even if it were true, so what? I remind these people that the federal Attorney-General (Mr Williams) is drawing this up in conjunction with the police ministers of all the states and territories around Australia.

Possibly the most repugnant suggestion that I have had is that we—that is me and the coalition—set up this massacre so that we could introduce this legislation. I do not think that I should perhaps comment further on that. A lot of them have challenged—dared me, indeed—to hold a referendum.

Mr Kerr —In this atmosphere I would deny it just in case it be held against us.

Mr COBB —I do deny it on behalf of all members in this chamber. Some have said that we should hold a referendum—they have dared us to hold a referendum. Apart from the small matter that that will cost probably $50 million, I say to those people that, according to the reputable opinion polls around this country, they would lose the referendum. In fact, what would come down is probably more stringent regulations than those the Prime Minister has proposed.

Lastly, I condemn the misinformation that is going around on this matter and which has been whipped up by some groups. The Sporting Shooters Association of Australia (New South Wales) Inc. has written something which has been put on my desk today. I am disappointed to see what they say because my own 13-year-old son is a junior member of this association. They say that 80 per cent of Australian target shooting will be banned. On another page of the document, they say that about 80 per cent of gun owners will be banned with no compensation. That is absolute, ridiculous nonsense. Indeed, if they cared to read what is being put out, some of it is quite reasonable indeed. I am pleased to say that I am now receiving letters from the farming community around my electorate in particular saying, `Hang in there. We support what is being proposed. It is quite reasonable and it will help make Australia a safer place for our children.'