Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee, , 3:20:36 to 3:25:17
Questions regarding a 42-day delay in a firearms shipment caused by changes to import permit regulations and the department's response to legislative updates.
Topics: Firearms, Procurement
Speakers: Fatima Payman, Meghan Quinn, Racheal Kuczma, Speaker 19, Unknown Speaker, Mark Hammond
>> Thank you chair. Uh good afternoon. Um my questions around shipment of firearms. Um, with regard to question 74 of BE2627, um, which related to a shipment of firearms for defense that was blocked as a consequence of the changes to firearms import permits that were rushed through parliament in January. Um, what type or types of firearms were purchased in this order and how many of each types were
and we'll ask the relevant officials to
>> Uh can I just ask you to repeat the what what document you're reading from?
>> I'm reading it from budget estimates 2627. Um uh question 74. I'll pull out the exact.
>> So it's a question an answer to a
answer to a question on notice uh dated 9th of June 2026.
>> Senator Rachel Kuchma, acting deputy secretary for the capability acquisition and sustainment group. Can you repeat
know that the shipment of firearms um that was blocked as a consequence of the changes to firearm import permits u what type or types of firearms were purchased in this order and how many of each type were purchased?
>> I'll see if my colleague has the detail. I do recall the response but I don't have the detail.
>> I can read out the response if you'd
>> So does that not clarify the answer?
because you've said defense experienced a 42-day delay to one order of firearms due to import permit changes which required permit applications to be resubmitted under the new process. The complete order was received in May 2026 without impacting defense capability. So I'd like to know what type or types of firearms were purchased in this order and how many of each type were
>> The answer I'll just see if we have the answer. If not, we will take it on
Yeah. Uh, Major General Sean Hoffman, uh, Headland Systems. Um, Senator, I'm aware of the, uh, uh, the issue. I I I don't think I've got the detail here, and I might have to take that on notice in terms of what the weapon itself was that was delayed.
>> Thank you. Do you know what the value of the order was?
>> Again, I would have to take that on
defense made aware that it would have to update its import processes following the January amendments?
>> That that would have occurred. We we monitor changes to arrangements both domestically and internationally and then we have a a process of making sure that our procurement areas and our we also have regulators uh a regulator. So when there's a change in law we we go through and update our systems and
did defense take to update its import processes? Because, you know, it clearly wasn't enough um to prevent this shipment from being blocked. Happy to
take the details on notice in terms of what the procedures were.
Uh what changes has defense made to ensure it is up to date with regulatory changes in the future so that things like this doesn't happen again? Uh so,
I've taken on notice with the procedures that we undertook at the time. Um so it's not clear to me whether uh we how speedy and and um and foolsome that was. >> Uh generally we have an uh we have a an area that looks at the legislative changes uh in Australia. In terms of overseas changes we've got a network of overseas and overseas posted staff whose one of their responsibilities is to monitor changes in international arrangements as well. uh that is compiled and it and and it goes through the system to make sure that our procurement officers and our project uh delivery officers understand the changes in the legislative regimes. So it's it's a system that's been in place for a significant amount of time
>> but we don't know what process took place around this. No, that's why I've
taken this particular item taken on notice. But that in general, it would have been someone someone being notified of a change in legislation identifying who in the defense needs to know about that and then have information being provided in different mechanisms either an updated manual or a direct a direct