Paintball markers were the focus of legislation passed by the Legislative Council on Tuesday – a day where the House also heard statements about international relations and acknowledged a new inquiry for the recently-established Animal Welfare Committee. Read on for more… 

STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT: COMMONWEALTH PARLIAMENTARY CONFERENCE 

The sitting began with President the Hon Ben Franklin making a statement about the 66th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference, which was held in Accra, Ghana from 30 September to 6 October 2023. Each year the conference brings together parliamentarians and delegates from across the commonwealth to share best practice, forge connections and continue to work together to uphold and further parliamentary democracy.  

In Ghana, the Parliament of NSW was represented by the President (who is also the Vice President of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association), Speaker of the Legislative Assembly the Hon Greg Piper, member of the Assembly Liesl Tesch, the Clerk of the Parliaments and the Deputy Clerk of the Assembly. 

Did you know? In 2024, the Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference is coming to Sydney! Hosted by the NSW Branch of the Association, it will bring some 700 delegates from 53 countries to our harbour city. 

MINISTERIAL STATEMENT: ISRAEL-PALESTINE CONFLICT 

On Tuesday, a ministerial statement was made by the Leader of the Government in the Council, the Hon Penny Sharpe, speaking to the Israel-Palestine conflict. The full details of her statement can be found in the Hansard record. The Leader of the Opposition in the Council, the Hon Damien Tudehope, also spoke in reply.  

Also during the sitting, Ms Sharpe made statements about ministerial representation in the government and in the Council. Read the statements in Hansard here and here. 

PASSED: PAINTBALL AMENDMENT BILL 2023 

After passing through the Legislative Assembly in the last sitting week, the Paintball Amendment Bill 2023 was considered by the House on Tuesday, being introduced by Parliamentary Secretary the Hon Anthony D’Adam on behalf of the Hon Penny Sharpe.  

The bill amends the Paintball Act 2018, making several changes to the regulation of the use, sale and transport of ‘paintball markers’ (paintball guns). These amendments were based on recommendations made in a recent statutory review of the Act.  

The Act itself deals with paintball markers – which are regulated separate to the Firearms Act 1996 – including covering the permit system for the markers and for paintball venues.  The bill makes several changes to how these permits are used, including requiring venues to display their permits and for permit holders to produce their permit when seeking to use their own marker at a paintball venue. The bill also includes a provision for a penalty for permit holders who fail to display their permit and clarifies permit holders can purchase and possess more than one paintball marker under a single permit. 

The bill also updates requirements related to the transportation of paintball markers and gives the relevant Secretary (the Commissioner for Fair Trading) the power to authorise the use of paintball markers at a place other than an authorised paintball game venue – in particular, low-risk settings such as on film and television sets for special effects, or in laboratories  when conducting research.  

Further details on the bill can be found in Mr D’Adam’s second reading speech. 

Contributions to the debate were made by members of the Opposition, The Greens, the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers and the Government, before the House resolved into committee of the whole to consider two amendments moved by the Hon Robert Borsak on behalf of the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers. The amendments related to the transport of paintball markers and were agreed to on the voices.  

With the third reading agreed to on voices, the bill was returned to the Legislative Assembly for consideration of the changes.  

You can read the full proceedings in Hansard.  

COMMITTEES: A NEW INQUIRY AND A TAKE-NOTE DEBATE 

A second inquiry for the House’s brand-new Animal Welfare Committee was reported in the chamber by committee Chair the Hon Emma Hurst (Animal Justice Party). The inquiry will look at the management of cat populations in NSW, and will begin at the conclusion of the committee’s current inquiry into the proposed aerial shooting of brumbies in Kosciuszko National park. Find details in the Hansard record here, and look out for updates via the Parliament’s inquiry listing page. 

Also on Tuesday, the House engaged in a take note debate on the Premier and Finance Committee’s recent report into the Electoral Funding Amendment Bill 2023. See members’ contributions in Hansard. 

GENERAL MOTIONS 

Just one motion was agreed to without debate during the morning’s formal business, relating to the Indo-Australian Bal Bharathi Vidyalaya Hindi School Hindi Day Event moved by the Hon Mark Buttigieg (Labor). 

DOCUMENTS TABLED AND REPORTED IN THE HOUSE 

Among the documents tabled and reported on Tuesday were: 

Find all documents tabled and reported in our Tabled Papers Database.  

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