Police commissioner's advice on gun ownership caps ignored
The state government ignored advice from Tasmania Police Commissioner Donna Adams to implement a cap on the amount of firearms a person can own.
The government previously announced that it would participate in the national gun buyback scheme but would not impose caps.
In a letter to Police Minister Felix Ellis, Commissioner Adams said she wanted to ensure the public and emergency service personnel were safe.
“Firearms present a real and increasing threat to both the public and our officers,” she said.
“The murder of Constable Keith Smith on 16 June 2025 was a confronting reminder that the presence of a firearm can change the outcome of even the most routine policing task.”
Government minister Kerry Vincent said it had received advice from a “whole lot of different areas” and that “the caps do not make a substantial difference”.
Labor and the Greens support limits on the number of firearms an individual can own.
“When it comes to community safety, Tasmanians expect the government to listen to the police,” Labor police spokeswoman Jen Butler said.
“Instead, Premier Rockliff and Minister Ellis have chosen to ignore their advice and water down the reforms, leaving Tasmania with weaker safeguards than those supported by Tasmania Police and adopted in other states.”
Greens police spokeswoman Tabatha Badger said an excessive amount of firearms in the community leads to more theft and misuse.
“It is welcomed that the Police Commissioner has reinforced this point in powerful and compelling terms, advising the Minister caps on firearms were needed to keep the community safe,” Ms Badger said.
“Not only has Minister Ellis failed to act, but he kept this advice from the Commissioner secret.
“Instead of listening to his own Commissioner’s advice and the stark evidence for community safety, the Minister for Police has been publicly campaigning against caps.
“In the wake of the Bondi attack and National Cabinet’s agreement on firearms reforms, this is sickening behaviour.”
Ms Badger said it was now up to the Tasmanian Parliament to change firearm legislation.
“ The Greens urge all MPs to get on board with passing a cap on firearm ownership.”
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Firearm Legislation
The Commissioner has no legal rights to delay Permits to Acquire - this is all covered by legislation and unless that is changed by parliament- it stands.
I disagree
This article shows many of the hallmarks of untruths resembling the deceptive rhetoric of COVID. The article makes a claim without substantiation and then goes on to use that claim as evidence in a classic example of circular reasoning. It is a big red flag when there is a claim of ‘for community safety’. Safety comes from not impinging on the rights of the individual, and never from allowing the state to claim any form of authority, especially not if it is over the individual in favour of society. That is a slippery slope to corruption and the relentless drive to communism. The rights of the individual must be upheld at all cost.
Gun laws
I’m a shooter 50 years own a farm we have always stored our guns securely as asked by law we are responsible shooters control game and it’s also our sport and right to shoot I need my 6 guns Thankyou
Caps don’t make a legal…
Caps don’t make a legal firearm owner anymore responsible than they already are.
It was a failure of government and government organisations to use current laws already in place. All these proposed changes do is punish law abiding citizens who pose no threat to anyone.
Firearms reform
Caps on the number of firearms will prove nothing other than to unfairly penalise legitimate firearm owners. Commissioner Adams has a biased view based on one, or at best a very small number of regrettable, isolated and clearly unfortunate cases. Applying her philosophy to motor vehicle ownership and we should get rid of motor vehicles. We live in a democracy, at least we do at the minute but unfortunately it is a fact that democracies globally are losing ground.
We would be better served if those in positions of authority ( & power) focussed more on our national security, home affairs, defence and immigration. Administer and Enforce existing legislation rather than impose further restrictions on law abiding Australians. In this regard, had the NSW government and police upheld their responsibility rather than fail in their duty to ordinary Australians, then the Bondi incident would not have occurred. Our government and senior beaurocrats are selling off our country and destroying our culture whilst pandering to the demands of minority groups and those who want to destroy all that is good about being Australian.
It is a fact that firearms once existed in most Australian homes and many used them to survive, harvesting rabbits, ducks and other game just as they also had backyard gardens and caught fish from the local foreshore or wharf. A healthy lifestyle based on freedoms most can now only dream about. Our forefathers fought and died to protect these freedoms, they stood united under one flag and I can only wonder at what their response would be to the shamefull demonstrations in our streets and current state of affairs in Australia today.
I support the current stance adopted by the Tasmanian Premier and Minister Felix Ellis and congratulate them on their unbiased, logical and sensible approach. Tasmania has strong firearm laws and whilst they are properly administered and enforced their is no case for imposing further restrictions.
`Excess stupidity`
Green`s Police Spokeswoman, Tabatha Badger`s quote -"an excess amount of firearms in the community leads to more thefts and misuse." Using this premise, we must assume that an excess amount of money in a community would also lead to more thefts and misuse ! { Definition of `assume` - ASS-of-YOU-and-ME.) Solution - lock up your cash Tassies, you got a lot of idiots running loose !!
firearms cap
you are all running the same scare campaign..
capping doesn’t do anything for gun safety.
why are you not Pushing the government for less politicians that’s not only a saving but a reduction in stupidity/
corruption and greater public safety out come. for the country.??
you’re on going rant is as logical
Caps are pointless
There is no evidence caps will improve community safety! Politicians like the greens and labor and their bureaucrat lackies in the upper echelons of the police love making unsubstantiated claims, supposedly all in the public interest! Question is - who's interests are they really serving? Certainly not the public's!
Firearms legislation
I think everyone in Australia knows by now that Bondi was a massive national security problem. Had our national security agencies been aloud to do their jobs properly & actually on information at hand that particular day could've been avoided.
Keep our Firearms
If there had been some sound and responsible people carrying a firearm at Port Arthur, in April 1996, there would have been a very shortened incident. Think about that for a moment. So, it comes down to responsible people having firearms. Police should concentrate on where the 'illegal' firearms are coming from. We have National Security to think about as well.