Mrs GALLUS —My question is addressed to the Attorney-General. Can the Attorney-General inform the House of changes that have occurred in the rate of firearm related deaths since the Howard government provided the initiative and the leadership to introduce uniform national firearm laws?

Mr WILLIAMS (Attorney-General) —I thank the member for Hindmarsh for her question. One of the high points of the Howard government's first term in office was successfully tackling the difficult and complex problem of uniform national firearms laws. The Prime Minister's leadership and the government's commitment—and, I would add, the support of the opposition—led to a national firearms legislative scheme and to a national firearms buyback scheme. We now have some evidence of the impact of that legislation and of that scheme.

The scheme resulted in the removal of some 640,000 firearms from the community. In addition, the Australian Institute of Criminology has recently issued a report which indi cates that there has been a decrease between 1996 and 1997 in firearms related deaths. The number of deaths in 1996 was 523 and it reduced in 1997 to 438. This is both encouraging and welcome. I point out that the three categories of firearms deaths that are particularly relevant—suicide, accidents and homicide—all had a reduction. We have to treat the AIC's figures with some caution, as we need further time to evaluate fully the impact of the laws, but generations to come will benefit from them.

I take the opportunity to remind all states and territories that their compliance with the national firearms agreement reached in 1996 continues to be monitored. Compliance with the agreement is one factor the Commonwealth will take into account when exercising its discretionary power to reimburse the states for expenditure under the buyback scheme. Non-complying jurisdictions will not be reimbursed. The national firearms legislative scheme and the buyback scheme will contribute to a safer Australia for generations to come.