State election 2021: Labor rules out gun law change despite preference swap with Shooters, Fishers and Farmers

Mark McGowan has ruled out watering down firearm laws despite group voting tickets confirming WA Labor has negotiated a preference swap with the pro-gun Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party. Mr McGowan’s party has placed the conservative Shooters second — above traditional Parliamentary partners the Greens — in both the Agricultural and Mining and Pastoral Regions in the Upper House. In the South West, Labor has placed the Shooters third just after the Greens. Multiple sources told The West Australian that Labor believes the swap would boost its chances in the marginal Lower House seats of Geraldton and Kalgoorlie, which are held by the Nationals and Liberals respectively, where it is understood the Shooters will preference Labor on how-to-vote cards. The deal massively enhances the Shooters’ chances of hanging on to MLC Rick Mazza’s seat in the Agricultural Region as well as potentially sending two further candidates to Parliament from the Mining and Pastoral and South West regions. While the Shooters’ policies include relaxation of firearms laws and cutting gun license fees, Mr McGowan was today adamant he would not “water down gun laws in any way, shape or form”. “Last year, at the height of the pandemic, for months we closed gun stores down to keep West Australians safe,” he said. “And the gun lobby advertised against us and actually put in place threatening ads in the newspaper… so there's absolutely no way we're watering down gun laws. In fact, our record shows we're prepared to do the opposite.” As promised, Labor has preferenced Pauline Hanson’s One Nation candidates in last in every region. In late January, Opposition Leader Zak Kirkup and Liberal director Sam Calabrese ruled out a preference deal with One Nation. However, group voting tickets — released late this afternoon — show the Liberals have placed Ms Hanson’s party above Labor and the Greens in every Legislative Council region besides North Metropolitan. When today asked whether he expected backlash from voters for directing preferences to One Nation rather than major parties, Mr Kirkup went on the offensive, pointing out Labor had placed the anti-vax No Mandatory Vaccination Party above Ms Hanson’s candidates. “The Labor Party is undermining the national immunisation program that has helped the West Australian safe by prioritising the anti-vax party,” Mr Kirkup said. “I call on the Premier to join with the Liberal Party and make sure that fringe extremist party is at the bottom of our tickets.” Labor has placed the No Mandatory Vaccination Party second last on all of its group voting tickets, just above One Nation. Of the micro parties vying for seats, Liberals for Climate — formerly known as Flux — is in the box seat to grab one of the six available spots in the North Metropolitan region after party secretary Daithí Gleeson secured favourable preferences from Labor, the Liberals and Greens. Incumbent MPs Charles Smith (Western Australia Party) and Aaron Stonehouse (Liberal Democrats) are also the most likely minor party candidates to win seats in the East Metropolitan and South Metropolitan regions respectively.