Liberals and Nationals at loggerheads over gun reforms in latest sign of division in opposition alliance

Opposition Leader Shane Love has promised to overturn “arbitrary” limits on gun ownership if the Nationals form government following the 2025 election — placing his party at odds with the WA Liberals, who are broadly supportive of the new caps. The Cook Government’s proposed overhaul of firearms legislation — being debated in Parliament this week — has exposed a major policy crack in the Liberal-National alliance. Mr Love was on Wednesday joined by pro-gun lobbyists to announce the Nationals would oppose all the key planks of the re-written Firearms Act. They include banning individuals from owning more than 10 firearms — an Australian first — and introducing mandatory physical and mental health checks as part of the licence application process. The sale of letters authorising prospective gun owners to hunt or shoot vermin on rural properties, often used as the basis of a firearm application, will also be banned. “Overall, the Bill needs to go back to the drawing board,” Mr Love said. “And after an election in 2025, if we form the government, we will seek to rewrite those provisions of the Bill to which we are opposed.” The Nationals have traditionally joined the Liberals in a coalition government when the two parties win a majority of seats in the Legislative Assembly. Asked whether the Liberals shared his commitment to repealing the overhauled Firearms Act, Mr Love said the alliance partners were “independent parties”. “There is a process in our agreement… that allows for the two parties to take divergent views on particular issues,” he said. “Their ultimate choice will be to support the legislation. Ours will be to oppose the legislation.” Pressed on how the Nationals could commit to repealing the Bill in government if the Liberals did not share the same position, Mr Love said his party would “not necessarily” seek to rewrite the legislation in its “entirety”. However, he confirmed the Nationals were opposed to maximum caps on gun ownership, mandatory health checks and banning the sale of property letters. “We don’t support arbitrary limits on firearms,” he said. “The Law Reform Commission specifically considered that at some length and came to the conclusion there was no benefit in having those particular limits.” Shadow Police Minister Peter Collier said the Liberals supported the “intent” of the firearms reforms but would seek to tweak the proposed maximum limits and mental health testing requirements. “At the moment, the current requirements surrounding mental health tests in the legislation are far too onerous and we will be seeking to ensure they are less cumbersome,” Mr Collier said. “We understand our alliance partners are taking a different position, as is their right to do, and we have no issue with that.” WA Firearms Community Alliance spokesman Paul Fitzgerald, who joined Mr Love on Wednesday, said the Cook Government was “drunk on power” and that “you almost need a licence to breathe in Western Australia now”. He suggested the move to digital licences — another component of the reforms — could allow WA Police to track gun owners “24/7” and that the government had failed to explain why recreational shooters should be limited to five firearms while farmers could have 10. Police Minister Paul Papalia has already committed to sending the Firearms Act to Parliament’s standing committee on uniform legislation, where limited aspects of the Bill will be scrutinised. The Opposition attempted to instead send the proposed laws to a separate committee empowered to examine the entire legislation - but was voted down by Labor. “There is only one question around this law,” Mr Papalia said. “It is American-style, unlimited guns for everyone - or responsible, reasonable limits on firearms possession and use.”