Firearms

Where we stand

One Nation Tasmania stands with responsible, law-abiding firearm owners.

Owning and using a firearm carries serious responsibilities. Firearms must be safely stored, lawfully used and kept out of the hands of criminals. But responsibility runs both ways. A citizen who meets the licensing, training, storage and safety requirements of the law deserves to be treated fairly by government, not regarded as a criminal in waiting.

Our principle is simple: target criminals, not lawful owners. We support tough laws against people who steal, traffic, illegally possess or use firearms to threaten or harm others. We reject the politically motivated alternative of piling additional restrictions, costs and uncertainty onto farmers, hunters, sporting shooters, collectors and businesses that already follow the law.

Firearms policy should be based on evidence, public safety and practical experience, not political panic, appearance or stigma. One Nation Tasmania will defend legitimate firearm ownership while ensuring police have the powers they need to target criminals. That is freedom under law: decent people left alone, criminals held accountable.

The issues

Tasmania has a long tradition of responsible firearm ownership for farming, pest control, hunting, sporting competition, collecting and other lawful purposes. As at 30 June 2026, Tasmania Police recorded 37,256 firearms licence holders and 157,483 registered firearms across the state. These are people already subject to strict licensing, genuine-reason requirements, registration, training, storage rules and ongoing regulation.

Yet lawful owners are again being caught in the middle of a political response that focuses on the people easiest to regulate rather than criminals. The Tasmanian Government's 2026 firearms reform process proposes reclassifying straight-pull and button or lever-release centre-fire and shotgun firearms to Category C, and the Government has acknowledged that the proposed reclassification would require a buyback. At the same time, illegal possession, stolen firearms, trafficking and firearms used in serious crime remain the threats the community wants the government to confront.

This matters well beyond individual firearm owners. A Tasmanian Government study released in 2023 estimated that recreational hunting and sports shooting contribute more than $88 million to Tasmania's economy each year and support 438 direct and 238 indirect full-time-equivalent jobs. Farmers and landholders also rely on firearms for pest management, livestock protection and property management. Poorly designed laws do not just create paperwork. They impose real costs on regional communities, sporting clubs, small businesses and primary producers.

Our priorities

1. Fix firearms licensing and administration

Lawful owners should not be trapped in confusing processes, unnecessary delays or inconsistent administrative decisions. One Nation Tasmania will:

Streamline firearms licensing, applications and renewals, with clearer requirements, better digital services and reasonable service standards.
Require clear written reasons where an application, renewal or permit is refused, restricted or cancelled, with meaningful review rights.
Reform medical fitness processes so medical practitioners provide relevant clinical information while responsibility for firearms licensing decisions remains with the appropriate statutory authority.
Ensure compliant licence holders are not unfairly placed in legal jeopardy because government administration has failed to process a properly lodged renewal in time.

2. Base firearm classifications on function and genuine risk

A firearm should not become prohibited simply because somebody dislikes what it looks like. One Nation Tasmania will:

Oppose arbitrary firearm reclassification based primarily on appearance rather than capability, function and demonstrated public-safety risk.
Oppose arbitrary numerical caps on the firearms a properly licensed person may own.
Oppose the proposed blanket reclassification of straight-pull and button or lever-release firearms where government cannot demonstrate a clear evidence-based public-safety case.
Review Tasmanian classifications and restrictions to ensure regulation is proportionate to actual risk and legitimate use.

3. No confiscation for political convenience

Property rights do not disappear because the government changes the rules. One Nation Tasmania will oppose compulsory firearm surrender or buyback schemes directed at licensed owners unless government can demonstrate a genuine public-safety justification.

If the law is changed and requires previously lawful property to be surrendered, affected owners must receive full and fair market compensation, including reasonable recognition of affected accessories and associated lawful property.

We support the permanent firearms amnesty as a practical way of getting illegal, unregistered and unwanted firearms out of the community. An amnesty aimed at removing illegal firearms is fundamentally different from forcing compliant citizens to surrender legally acquired property.

4. Protect farming, hunting, sport and responsible participation

Firearms are tools of trade, sporting equipment, recreational equipment and historically significant property. Government policy should recognise those legitimate uses. One Nation Tasmania will:

Protect lawful firearm use for primary production, pest and animal management, hunting, sporting shooting, collecting, conservation and recreation.
Back shooting clubs, ranges, competitions and pathways that allow Tasmanians to participate safely in the sport.
Protect properly supervised junior participation through clubs and ranges, with parental consent, appropriate training and strict safety requirements.
Work with landholders and hunting organisations to improve practical opportunities for licensed hunters to assist with pest and wildlife management.
Support properly regulated pathways allowing suitable game meat produced through lawful hunting and pest management to be donated rather than wasted.

Responsible shooting is part of regional Tasmania. We will treat it that way.

5. Restore common sense for collectors and antique firearms

Collectors should not be buried in regulation that delivers no meaningful improvement in public safety.

One Nation Tasmania will review the treatment of genuine antique, heirloom and historically significant firearms and seek to restore practical exemptions where a firearm presents no meaningful contemporary public-safety risk, while maintaining appropriate controls for firearms that remain readily capable of modern use.

Collectors preserve an important part of Australia's military, sporting, technological and social history. Regulation should recognise the difference between preserving history and possessing a weapon for criminal use.

6. Allow tightly controlled access to firearm sound suppressors

Section 118 of the Firearms Act 1996 currently prohibits the possession and use of firearm sound suppressors in Tasmania. One Nation Tasmania believes legitimate occupational, agricultural and recreational applications should be considered on their actual safety merits rather than dismissed because of Hollywood stereotypes.

We will develop a strict permit-to-acquire and registration framework allowing approved suppressor use for legitimate purposes such as primary production, pest management and recreational hunting, subject to appropriate licence eligibility, storage and use requirements.

Hearing protection and occupational safety should be treated as genuine considerations in firearms regulation.

7. Hammer criminals who misuse firearms

Supporting responsible firearm ownership means being uncompromising about criminal firearm use. One Nation Tasmania will:

Pursue stronger consequences for the theft and unlawful possession of firearms.
Support increased penalties where a firearm is brandished, discharged or used to facilitate robbery, home invasion, assault, intimidation or another serious criminal offence.
Strengthen enforcement against stolen firearms, unlawful manufacture, trafficking and organised criminal supply.
Support better tracing and intelligence sharing between Tasmania Police and other Australian law-enforcement agencies to identify criminal firearm networks.
Advocate federally for stronger action against illegal firearm importation and interstate trafficking.

The person using an illegal gun to commit a crime is the problem. The farmer, hunter or club shooter who follows the law is not.

8. Give lawful owners a real seat at the table

Governments should not rewrite firearms laws and then tell the people most affected what has already been decided.

One Nation Tasmania will require genuine consultation with licensed owners, farmers, sporting bodies, shooting clubs, collectors, firearms businesses and other directly affected groups before significant changes to firearms legislation or regulation.

We will also advocate through state and federal forums for a proper review of the National Firearms Agreement — originally established in 1996 and updated in 2017 — with a focus on nationally consistent rules where practical, evidence-based classifications and a clearer distinction between responsible ownership and criminal misuse.

Consultation does not mean everybody gets everything they want. It means government listens before it acts, tests its assumptions and can explain the evidence behind its decisions.

What this means for Tasmanians

For licensed firearm owners: fairer laws, clearer licensing, genuine consultation and an end to being treated as a public-safety threat simply because you lawfully own firearms.

For farmers and landholders: practical access to the tools needed for pest control, livestock protection, animal welfare and responsible property management.

For hunters and sporting shooters: protection for legitimate recreation, clubs, competition and supervised pathways for the next generation to learn safe firearm handling.

For collectors and firearms businesses: regulation based on genuine risk and practical reality rather than appearance, stigma or endless administrative complexity.

For the wider community: police and government focused where they should be — on stolen firearms, illegal possession, trafficking and criminals who use weapons to threaten or harm people.

One Nation Tasmania will be tough on gun crime and fair to the people who do the right thing.

What comes next

This baseline policy sets out both where One Nation Tasmania stands and the firearms reforms we are prepared to fight for.

We will now work with lawful firearm owners, farmers, clubs, hunters, collectors, firearms businesses, police, medical professionals and legal experts to properly develop the legislative and administrative detail, with further firearms policies released as that work progresses.

If you own, use, work with or regulate firearms in Tasmania, we want to hear from you.