The Hon. Mark Banasiak, Member of the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party, Media Release, 11 May 2026

Mark Banasiak MLC has slammed the Minns Labor Government’s $39.3 million Firearms Registry announcement as a taxpayer-funded bailout for a system collapsing under the weight of Labor’s own bureaucracy.

“This is not reform. It is damage control,” Mr Banasiak said.

“Labor created the mess, buried the Registry in red tape, and now hardworking taxpayers are being forced to pay $39 million to keep the system afloat.

“The Government on Friday announced another $39.3 million and 22 additional staff for the NSW Firearms Registry following the introduction of sweeping new firearm laws.

Mr Banasiak said if the Registry suddenly requires tens of millions of dollars and an emergency staffing injection just to function, it proves the Government’s laws were never properly thought through in the first place.

“You cannot call a system effective when it needs a taxpayer-funded rescue package every time Labor adds another layer of bureaucracy.”

“Labor dug the hole. Now they expect the public to pay for the ladder.”

Mr Banasiak said taxpayers have already watched tens of millions disappear into failed registry projects with little accountability.

“More than $40 million was torched on the failed Project Falcon disaster.”

“Millions more have been wasted on the current dealer and club portals that delivered outdated 1990s technology plagued with outages and failures.”

“Licensed firearm owners are expected to comply with systems that barely function.”

He said the deeper problem is a Registry operating in isolation with little real oversight from senior police command or government.

“This won’t fix the fundamental problem because the Registry has become a bureaucratic island disconnected from operational reality.”

“During Estimates, Assistant Commissioner Heyward admitted she had only visited the Registry twice while overseeing it. Twice.”

“That is not oversight. That is abandonment.”

Mr Banasiak said while Labor obsesses over more paperwork and restrictions for our farmers and lawful firearm owners, serious policing priorities are being neglected.

“The horrific Bondi terrorist attack exposed catastrophic failures in intelligence sharing, coordination and counter-terror policing.”

“But instead of fixing those failures, Labor’s response is more forms, more bureaucracy and more delays for people who already follow the law.”

“This government is drowning in paperwork while real public safety issues are left unresolved.” Mr Banasiak said the Minns Government was now trying to rebrand administrative failure as a public safety success story.

“The public was promised stronger community safety. What they got was more incompetence, more delays and another massive bill for taxpayers.”

“This announcement is not a sign of strength.”

“It is an admission the system is failing.”