- The LNP opposes regulations around the transport and storage of gel blasters
- The current LNP leadership team voted against legislation to improve community safety
- Members of the LNP trivialised the moves as “nanny state” regulations on children’s toys
The Palaszczuk Government makes no apologies for taking steps to improve community safety including placing restrictions around items such as gel blasters.
In 2020, the Palaszczuk Government passed laws impose strict regulations around the transportation and storage of gel blasters.
As a result:
- Gel blasters must be stored in a secure, locked container;
- Gel blasters must be kept in an appropriate container to keep the device from public view when it’s being transported; and
- A person with a gel blaster in public must also have a legitimate reason to have one like being a member of a gel blaster sporting club.
These laws are on top of laws that already exist making it illegal for anyone to brandish a weapon or anything that looks like a weapon in public.
The LNP heavily opposed these laws and the clause that placed restrictions around their transportation was opposed by 34 members of the LNP including the current Leader of the Opposition and the current Deputy leader of the Opposition.
Quotes attributable to Police Minister Mark Ryan:
“The Palaszczuk Government makes no apologies for making sure that people with a legitimate reason for having a gel blaster, transport and store them in an appropriate way that doesn’t cause public alarm. These laws were introduced in consultation with police and we will continue to work with police on the laws they need.”
Quotes attributable to current Deputy Opposition Leader Jarrod Bleijie (sourced from Hansard, July 16, 2020):
“I have 15 gel blaster toys…”
“My kids were playing with them on the weekend in the forest behind our house. When this legislation goes through we are going to make it illegal for that to happen. It gets worse in this Labor nanny state we live in. I have a gun safe at home for the appropriate storage of appropriately regulated dangerous metal weapons. If I join a toy gel blaster club, after I have a round of shooting water at my son and my girls and they shoot water bullets back at me, we are going to have to carefully take our plastic water guns, go in and unlock the two locks on my gun safe and carefully place my plastic toy water pistols next to my highly dangerous metal weapon and then I am going to have to get the water Orbeez, which are the gel blasting bullets, and I am going to have to unlock the second storage compartment in my gun safe and put these highly dangerous water blobs next to my rightfully highly dangerous brass bullets for my highly regulated dangerous weapon. Members may laugh, but that is how stupid and serious this is. This is what we are debating. We are taking toys off kids.”
Background
Video of the current Deputy Leader of the Opposition opposing these regulations is available here.
The following current members of the LNP voted against regulating the storage and transport of gel blasters: • David Crisafulli • Jarrod Bleijie • Ros Bates • Stephen Bennett • Mark Boothman • Michael Crandon • Deb Frecklington • Laura Gerber • Michael Hart • David Janetzki, • John Krause • John-Paul Langbroek • Anne Leahy • James Lister • Tim Mander • Jim McDonald • Brett Mickelberg • Steve Minnikin • Rob Molhoek • Tim Nicholls • Sam O’Connor • Tony Perrett • Andrew Powell • Dan Purdie • Mark Robinson • Christian Rowan • Fiona Simpson • Ray Stevens • Trevor Watts • Pat Weir
