Tas: Brown calls for handgun ban on Port Arthur anniversary

AAP General News (Australia)
04-29-2001
Tas: Brown calls for handgun ban on Port Arthur anniversary

PORT ARTHUR, Tasmania, April 29 AAP - Greens Senator Bob Brown today used the fifth
anniversary of the Port Arthur shootings to call for a national ban on handguns.

Senator Brown called on the federal government and Opposition to come up with a national
plan of action to rid Australia of hand-held firearms.

"One Australian is being murdered by a handgun each fortnight, on average, and the
rate is increasing," he said.

"Already there are estimated to be more than 300,000 handguns circulating in Australia.

"Between 1995 and 1999 the percentage of handguns used in firearm related homicides
grew from 13 per cent to a staggering 42 per cent.

"Yet the restrictions on semi-automatic handguns are more lax than those for semi-automatic
rifles."

Senator Brown's comments followed a refusal by NSW Police Minister Paul Whelan to outlaw
semi-automatic handguns in that state, despite admitting they were being sold on the black
market.

Senator Brown said handguns were just as dangerous as semi-automatic rifles, which
were banned after 35 people were killed at Port Arthur in 1996.

The fifth anniversary of the Port Arthur massacre was marked yesterday with an informal
wreath laying.

Site chief executive Stephen Large said this was the first year without a formal ceremony
to remember those who were gunned down in the shootings on April 28, 1996.

Wreaths were laid by Mr Large, the Tasman Council and a representative of the Scottish
town of Dunblane, where 16 schoolchildren and a teacher were killed by a gunman in 1996.

There also was one minute's silence.

"It's not a memorial service, it's more just a quiet reflection," Mr Large said.

He said the Tasmanian government and site management decided to end formal ceremonies
after last year's dedication of a memorial garden.

"If people want to come to the garden, and there are a few people on site today that
obviously just want to come down and reflect in their own way and that's essentially how
the memorial is designed," Mr Large said.

"I know of a few that are certainly associated with (the affected) families and obviously
there'd be some interest from the general public.

"The local community that was affected by the events of 1996 will want to come and
spend a little time on site, just reflecting in their own way."

He said the community had moved on but the lead-up to the anniversary was a sombre time.

"It's always a quiet week, this week, but people are very positive and they've moved
forward now. It's now five years and people have adopted the attitude that they must move
on, and have done so," Mr Large said.

AAP mo/md/br

KEYWORD: ARTHUR (CARRIED EARLIER)

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