http://www.theaustralian.com.a...frgczx-1226459405120

QUEENSLAND has become the first state to consider easing gun-licensing controls, incurring bitter criticism from the police union that lives would be put at risk.

The Newman government yesterday established a six-member Ministerial Weapons Advisory Panel, all of whom have links to the gun lobby, including one of Australia's leading firearms importers, Robert Noia.

The panel is the first of its kind in Australia and will advise the Liberal National Party government on "how to reduce the red tape, delays and bureaucracy" that gun owners face when applying for a licence or a new weapon. Police Minister Jack Dempsey said gun owners were treated as "second-class citizens".

Premier Campbell Newman insisted there would be "no weakening of gun control" and the panel would focus on reducing the use of illegal firearms. However, "needlessly bureaucratic processes" for the licence renewals should be examined.

A member of the panel, Townsville-based owner of Halls Firearms Dave Kelly, said procedures were very slow - it took up to eight months for farmers to get a gun licence - and renewal procedures should be simplified.

"Once people have been through those checks there is no reason why (renewal) shouldn't be as quick as a car licence," Mr Kelly said.

Queensland Police Union president Ian Leavers said all gun-control bureaucracy and restrictions were vital to community and police safety.

He said that since 2000 police were just as likely to be killed by licensed gun owners as people using illegal firearms.

"If anything we shouldn't reduce red tape for gun owners, but increase it," Mr Leavers said.

"Red tape in this instance means risk-mitigation and having appropriate safeguards, which we want to keep in place. A reduction in red tape around gun ownership will simply mean more people will die. It's as simple as that."

Mr Leavers said the union had not been invited to join the advisory panel, noting it was dominated by organisations that urged the relaxation of gun controls.

"It does seem that the panel is not representative of the full cross-section of views on this issue and they have a vested interest in relaxing the strict gun laws we necessarily have in place," he said.

The advisory panel is: Mr Noia, president of the Firearms Dealers Association of Queensland and former Katter's Australian Party vice-president; Queensland Shooters Association representative Paul Feeney; Queensland Sporting Shooters Association of Australia president Geoff Jones; International Coalition for Women in Shooting and Hunting chairwoman Samara McPhedran; Shooters Union secretary Rob Harrold; and Mr Kelly.

Mr Noia was unable to be contacted by The Australian as he was on an annual shooting trip on a private property in southern Queensland.

Mr Jones said government resources were being used up "chasing the good guys around in a circle" and controls needed to be refocused on criminals.

"I would say the licensing branch is misdirected, error-ridden and is rapidly becoming unworkable," he said. "It's a basket case."

He said the controls flagged by the Howard government in 1996 after the Port Arthur massacre and rolled out by the states under the National Firearms Agreements were reactionary but unduly restrictive. Gun owners must be licensed, apply for a permit and cite a reason why they need the firearm before they can be purchased.

Mr Newman said the panel on administration of licensing was created as a "quid pro quo" for introducing tougher penalties for concealed handguns in a crackdown on outlaw bikie gangs.

"We want to make it easier for law-abiding gun owners to renew their licenses," Mr Newman said.

"There are some very bureaucratic processes and time-consuming, resource-intensive processes when people are renewing their gun licenses.

"There is no change to the level of scrutiny required to obtain that license but in terms of renewals it's an opportunity to reduce some of that red tape."

Mr Newman's assertions there would be no weakening of controls contradicted earlier comments from Mr Dempsey to The Australian that the government would look at broadening the categories of firearms available to buy "on an individual basis".

The Police Minister said there was scope to grow the community of sporting and recreational gun users.

"For far too long a lot of good people have been having to be treated like second-class citizens," he said.

Federal Justice Minister Jason Clare said the licensing system was a matter for state governments, which regulated the ownership, possession and sale of firearms. But he said the federal government "would be concerned if state or territories were to depart from key principles" under the National Firearms Agreements.

Oops should of read the post below