In a story published today by the ABC, Western Australia’s Police Minister, Reece Whitby, claims that other states are watching WA’s sweeping new gun laws with interest. If that’s true, they’re watching the way you might watch a slow-motion train wreck, not as a blueprint for reform, but as a cautionary tale of what happens when arrogance, isolationism, and ideology overpower evidence and common sense.
WA’s gun laws have been outliers for decades. Long before this latest legislative overreach, the state already held the title for the most restrictive and least rational firearms regime in the country. These new laws were made in a vacuum by a government that was clearly more concerned with headlines than real-world outcomes.
Despite Minister Whitby’s bold claim that his reforms are sparking national interest, the article tells a different story. His interstate colleagues have hung him out to dry; not one Minister from another jurisdiction offered even token support. In politics, silence often speaks louder than words.
Minister Whitby should feel isolated, not because these laws were his creation, but because he’s made the mistake of owning them. The real architect was former minister Paul Papalia. Whatever else one might say about Papalia, he was politically shrewd enough to give off a hospital pass when the ball got too hot. A smarter successor would be creating distance. Instead, Whitby is doubling down on an unworkable mess that’s drawn fire not just from shooters, farmers and frontline police, but even from WA’s medical fraternity.
When the medical profession is lining up to criticise gun laws for being too restrictive, it’s a sign that something has gone seriously wrong. At this point, it seems the only people still cheering for these laws are the prohibitionists and the ABC.
It’s also important to acknowledge the tireless efforts of SSAA WA and the Western Australian Firearms Community Alliance, who have led a principled and determined pushback against these unjust laws. Despite operating in a hostile political environment, they’ve maintained a clear, consistent message grounded in facts, fairness, and community safety. Their work has been critical in exposing the flaws in the legislation and giving a voice to the thousands of law-abiding Western Australians who are effectively being punished for crimes they did not and would not commit. They deserve our respect and national support.
Speaking of prohibitionists, enter Steve Bendle, dragged out once again as a supposed “expert.” Bendle has no qualifications in firearms, criminology, public safety, or law. His only claim to relevance is an irrational hatred of Australia’s successful and internationally respected firearms framework. Giving him a platform in serious policy debates about firearm safety is like inviting someone who wants to ban cars to help draft road safety laws. It’s beyond farcical.
None of the WA reforms do anything to make the community safer. Not one provision of these laws targets organised crime, illicit supply, or actual misuse. What it does do is punish law-abiding firearm owners and drive a wedge between the government and the community. It shuts out the very people who should be part of the conversation, those with lived experience, technical expertise, and a track record of compliance. It polarises. It erodes trust. And it signals that ideology now trumps evidence in WA’s policymaking.
WA’s approach is not reform, it’s regression. It is politically driven, operationally incoherent, and logically indefensible.
For those fearmongering that similar laws might be coming to Victoria, don’t buy the spin. Whilst we are always cognisant that the price of freedom is eternal vigilance, SSAA Victoria has been reassured at the highest levels that the Victorian Government has no intention of emulating WA’s disastrous path. Claims to the contrary are not just wrong, they’re dishonest. Anyone pushing that narrative isn’t offering insight; they’re just showing you they have a problem with the truth.