Tony Abbott has intervened in an escalating political row over gun regulation, taking to social media to note it is “disturbing” to see reports of horse trading over the government’s plan to restore the building and construction commission.
Abbott took to Twitter at the same time the prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, was forced to defend himself in a motion to suspend standing orders brought on by Labor in the House of Representatives on Tuesday morning.
Disturbing to see reports of horse-trading on gun laws. ABCC should be supported on its merits.
— Tony Abbott (@TonyAbbottMHR) October 18, 2016
The Labor leader, Bill Shorten, moved the motion citing reports Turnbull “will do a deal on gun laws to pass the Abbott government’s industrial relations bills”, and noting Turnbull “has on at least five occasions just this morning refused to rule out trading away John Howard’s gun laws to pass the Abbott government’s industrial relations bills”.
A vote on the motion, which includes a commitment from the House to “never water down Australia’s gun laws”, was deferred.
Abbott’s intervention follows a fresh round of arm twisting over legislation to re-establish the Australian Building and Construction Commission.
When asked on Monday morning on the ABC about reports the Liberal Democratic Senator David Leyonhjelm could attempt to trade his vote on the ABCC for looser gun laws, Turnbull did not rule out a deal but stressed Australians supported tight gun laws.
Turnbull said he would not engage in negotiations on radio and would instead deal respectfully with crossbench senators. “David Leyonhjelm and I have discussed the matter and I’ll be working hard to ensure that any concerns or disappointment he has is addressed,” Turnbull told the ABC.
Leyonhjelm is seeking a concession from the prime minister as part of negotiations around the ABCC legislation, and he has also put a motion before the Senate to end the temporary Adler ban.
The LDP senator has accused the government of reneging on an agreement to end the import ban on the lever action shotgun last year.
Shorten built up to the parliamentary attack by telling the regular Labor caucus meeting that Turnbull was “willing to trade off John Howard’s gun laws to pursue Tony Abbott’s attack on workers.”
During the debate about the motion, the prime minister said the current ban will remain in place “until such time as there’s a reclassification of the Coag [Council of Australian governments] agreement”.
State police ministers meet on Friday.
Turnbull told the chamber the Coalition stood by John Howard’s gun reforms.
Just before question time, Leyonhjelm released correspondence between himself and the Abbott government from 2015 where the government clearly agreed to a 12 month sunset clause on the Adler ban in return for his vote on migration legislation.
The correspondence indicates that Abbott had himself horse traded on gun laws with Leyonhjelm in return for his support for other, non-related government legislation – some history that flies in the face of the former prime minister’s criticism of Turnbull on Tuesday morning.
Labor picked up that correspondence in question time, asking a series of questions about whether the government had ever offered to weaken Australia’s gun laws in return for support in the Senate.
The justice minister, Michael Keenan, suggested to parliament that agreeing to the sunset clause wasn’t indicative of the government’s long term disposition on the Adler.
He said the government had “always been 100% clear in our position that we will restrict their import until we get an agreement with the states about where they were to be classified”.
Turnbull insisted there was no prospect of weakening the Howard agreement on gun control.
“There is no prospect, no chance of my government ... weakening, watering down John Howard’s gun laws. And I might say there is no proposal being made to do so,” the prime minister said.
Shorten asked whether Turnbull could confirm that he had spoken directly to Leyonhjelm about the ban on the lever-action Adler shotgun, and whether he could confirm reports that he was willing minister “to discuss the regulation of the Adler gun in connection with support for the ABCC legislation?”
Leyonjhelm had earlier told Sky News he’d discussed the issue with the prime minister in August, and Turnbull had been sympathetic.
Turnbull ducked the question in the House, saying he respected cross bench senators.
The prime minister said Leyonhjelm was entitled to his view about the Adler, and he also said shooters were entitled to their views.
“[Leyonjelm]’s entitled to express [his views] to me or to any other minister. But what he has not proposed, at least not in my hearing, is any weakening of the national firearms agreement as it stands,” the prime minister said.
“He has a view as to the manner in which it should be strengthened. He is entitled to have that view as indeed are other shooter organisations and their representatives.”
“The government, of course, listens to those views as I’m sure justice ministers and premiers in other jurisdictions do as well.”
