“Police have once again raided a family home searching for prohibited firearms that didn’t exist”, says ACT Leader David Seymour.
“Four heavily-armed Police have carried out a search warrant on a family home looking for firearms which their own records showed had already been handed in. Even more disturbing is the fact that a three-month-old child was home at the time.
“This is now the second time Police have got it wrong. In January, a dozen armed Police officers carried out a search warrant at the home of a young family having dinner. Officers were looking for a low-powered replica of an 1893 gun that was not even a semi-automatic.
“This is why ACT consistently opposes giving more power to the government. Even if politicians mean well, new powers are inevitably abused or have real-world consequences other than those that were intended.
“How can Police register a million firearms when they can't track four? The risks associated with a gun register are too great.
“The current E-Category register is routinely incorrect and a register of all firearms will be no different. Criminals and gangs will not register their firearms. Overseas experience shows the cost of a register will blow out. Finally, a gun register, if leaked, will become a steal-to-order list for gangs and criminals.
“The massive data breach in which the details of more than 37,000 gun owners were made available on the Police website shows the agency can’t be trusted with this information.
“The Government must now abandon its attempt to register every firearm in the country. Centralising this information within an agency which has shown time and again that it cannot be trusted to manage it cannot be allowed to proceed.”