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Howard Call for Guns Crackdown

Australian (Sydney)

30 April 1996

By Bruce Montgomery and Lenore Taylor

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The Prime Minister, Mr Howard, yesterday ordered an emergency meeting of State police ministers to toughen gun laws and draw up a national plan for firearm registration as the nation reeled from the Port Arthur massacre.

Mr Howard also placed the banning of high-powered semi-automatic rifles, such as those used by the killer, on the agenda for the exceptional meeting while the NSW Government indicated it would be prepared to surrender gun law jurisdiction to the Federal Government as a measure against further tragedies.

As the death toll in Australia's worst random shooting reached 34 yesterday -- with one of the gunman's hostages unaccounted for -- the Prime Minister vowed he would "not retreat an inch from the national responsibilities I have in relation to this whole issue" and indicated he would look further than gun control.

"How is it that weapons of this kind are still available and what earthly purpose is served by their free availability?" Mr Howard asked.

ID: N126

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