Shane Love MLA, leader of The Nationals WA, has welcomed the seven-week extension of the Parliamentary Committee inquiry into the Cook Labor Government’s controversial Firearms Act 2024, criticizing the rushed and chaotic introduction of the laws. The extension, moving the reporting date from August 28 to October 16, 2025, was deemed necessary due to an “extraordinarily high” volume of over 2,600 public submissions received in under a month, highlighting significant community concern. Love argued that the original three-month inquiry period was insufficient, lacking time for public hearings with the 140 identified stakeholders, and called for a longer, six-month inquiry to properly assess the legislation’s impact, especially on regional communities.

Love also condemned the Labor Government for pushing the legislation through Parliament and starting implementation before the inquiry’s completion, ignoring widespread opposition from firearms owners and other parties. He stated that a sensible approach would have been to pause the regulations until the inquiry concluded, warning that the laws might need rewriting after the report. While the extension allows more thorough scrutiny, Love emphasized the ongoing uncertainty and frustration faced by firearms owners, clubs, dealers, and sporting shooters, who seek practical, evidence-based laws developed through genuine consultation—something he claims was lacking from the outset.