Gun Buy Back Scheme - The Australian National Audit Office

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Government to better meet the scheme’s objectives, or to provide any information on the effect of OLEC’s advice to the States in relation to Commonwealth reimbursement of payments for alreadyprohibited firearms. Conclusion 3 55 The scheme was implemented promptly, but there were some unintended consequences. These included the surrender of already-prohibited weapons and significant quantities of spare parts for them. On OLEC’s advice, the States paid compensation for these weapons. However, OLEC did not consult or communicate with other elements of the Attorney-General’s Department when making this decision to broaden the scope of the compensation scheme. OLEC acknowledged that in doing so it had overlooked the legislative requirements of the 1996 Act. 3 56 Based on information provided by relevant State officials, the ANAO estimated that, of the $304 million paid by the States in compensation, at least $7.5 million was paid on the basis of funds advanced by the Commonwealth for weapons and parts which were not included in the definition of qualifying compensation in the 1996 Act. 3 57 The Attorney-General's Department officers responsible for authorising payments were not aware that OLEC had advised the States that the Commonwealth would reimburse compensation paid for already-prohibited firearms. Although continued authorisation of payments to the States was not in breach of the 1996 Act, the ANAO considers that the Attorney-General's Department officers’ lack of knowledge of OLEC’s policy decision affecting the scheme indicates an evident weakness in the management control framework. 3 58 The ANAO also noted that OLEC’s ad hoc approach to compensation policy on already-prohibited firearms and the advice to the States resulted in variations between the States in the amounts paid for already-prohibited firearms and in the types of weapons for which compensation was paid. 3 59 As well, the monitoring of the scheme was not sufficient to help the Attorney-General's Department assess the achievements of the program and if necessary recommend changes to the Government to better meet the scheme’s objectives, or to provide any information on the effect of OLEC’s advice to the States in relation 52 The Gun Buy-Back Scheme
to Commonwealth reimbursement of payments for alreadyprohibited firearms The Gun Buy-Back Scheme 53
Page 1 and 2: The Gun Buy-Back Scheme © Commonwe
Page 3 and 4: Centrefire Ammunition in which a pr
Page 5 and 6: DAS Department of Administrative Se
Page 7 and 8: scheme through a one-off 0.2 per ce
Page 9 and 10: Internal management control 2. OLEC
Page 11 and 12: States in response to this unintend
Page 13 and 14: weapons, as was the policy applied
Page 15 and 16: Management of the surrender process
Page 17 and 18: 10. The ANAO also found that an imp
Page 19 and 20: Recommendati on No. 2 Para. 0 OGIA
Page 21 and 22: • uniform standards for the secur
Page 23 and 24: Audit scope and methodology Scope C
Page 25 and 26: 3 21 The ANAO also had regard to ev
Page 27 and 28: • to improve coordination between
Page 29 and 30: • the linking of jurisdictional f
Page 31 and 32: • developed a good practice contr
Page 33 and 34: The APMC Senior Officers’ Group a
Page 35 and 36: The compensation scheme Compensatio
Page 37 and 38: • that compensation should be bas
Page 39 and 40: Conclusion 3 51 Evidence available
Page 41 and 42: 3 4 The ACT Government had drawn th
Page 43 and 44: Legal advice on the definition of q
Page 45 and 46: 3 23 The ANAO raised the issue of w
Page 47 and 48: 3 34 State officials told the ANAO
Page 49 and 50: Monitoring of State legislation 3 4
Page 51: However, the ANAO found no evidence
Page 55 and 56: Revenue collection was undertaken t
Page 57 and 58: 3 70 The Attorney-General’s Depar
Page 59 and 60: The Attorney-General’s Department
Page 61 and 62: Implementation of the Scheme in the
Page 63 and 64: The surrender process 3 90 The fire
Page 65 and 66: • the weapon had been set aside b
Page 67 and 68: processes now occur, which reduces
Page 69 and 70: Tasmania 3 121 The Auditor-General
Page 71 and 72: The National Public Education Campa
Page 73 and 74: • advising the ‘client departme
Page 75 and 76: of firms suggested by OGIA. OGIA th
Page 77 and 78: Evaluation committee decision on sh
Page 79 and 80: circumstances mean that this may be
Page 81 and 82: three advertising firms was properl
Page 83 and 84: • self-loading shotguns with eith

Gun Buy Back Scheme - The Australian National Audit Office

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