Firearm Inquiry Must Deliver Workable Reform

Media Release | 16th October 2025
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Adam Hort MLA
Shadow Minister for Police; Corrective Services; Youth
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The findings of the parliamentary inquiry into the Firearms Act 2024 have confirmed that the Cook Labor Government’s firearms reform was rushed, poorly implemented, and plagued by administrative failure.

The 200-page report highlights the confusion and inconsistency that has defined Labor’s handling of the process, revealing serious issues with communication, system readiness, and stakeholder consultation.

“The Opposition supports a fair and practical approach to firearm reform, one that protects community safety without punishing responsible firearm owners,” Shadow Police Minister Adam Hort said.

“This inquiry, which the WA Liberals moved to deliver on an election commitment and which passed with the support of the entire Legislative Council, including Government MPs, is the only reason these failures have been exposed. Without it, the Government would still be pretending everything was fine.

“Reform must be workable and implemented with competence – something this Government has clearly failed to deliver.”

The report identifies serious flaws in the Firearm Authority Health Assessment (FAHA) process, recommending that the Health Assessment Working Group, including the RACGP, be reconvened to fix the system.

The inquiry also found that the Government’s new Firearms Portal was a disaster from the start; plagued by crashes and login failures that left thousands of applicants locked out or unable to renew licences. The Committee concluded that poor communication and a lack of preparation turned what should have been a simple system into a major source of confusion and frustration across the state.

“This report vindicates the people who spoke up,” Mr Hort said.

“For months, the Government dismissed the concerns of regional communities, doctors, and responsible firearm owners, but now even its own inquiry has confirmed what they’ve been saying all along.

“The Cook Labor Government got the process and implementation wrong. The fact that the medical working group will be reconvened is an important development and it’s one that may never have happened if not for this inquiry,”
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Media contact: Hayden Tognela – 0467 044 028

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