Tasmania's Premier has denied suggestions he tried to sneak through a plan to make changes to guns laws ahead of the election, saying he is trying to support farmers "to do their best job".

Key points: Liberals announce gun laws policy on election eve

Liberals announce gun laws policy on election eve Proposal to extends licence periods from five to 10 years

Proposal to extends licence periods from five to 10 years Anti-gun lobby says they breach a national agreement

The Liberals have promised changes to gun laws if elected which would allow greater to access to Category C firearms — such as self-loading rifles, pump-action shotguns — for farm workers and sporting shooters.

Licence holders in category C would also be allowed gun silencers.

The proposed changes would also:

Extend gun licence duration for Category A and B firearms from five years to 10 years; or in the case of Category C, from one year to two years

Extend gun licence duration for Category A and B firearms from five years to 10 years; or in the case of Category C, from one year to two years Relax penalties for minor gun storage law breaches

The proposal was sent to a firearms consultation group, including farmers and sporting shooters, about three weeks ago, but was not released publicly.

The Liberals' Rene Hidding wrote to firearms owners telling them the party also planned to establish a Tasmanian Firearms Owners Council.

The party released the changes several hours after media coverage, saying the policy was aimed at "helping agricultural producers, particularly farmers to protect crops".

Category B guns include weapons like the Sako rifle and Franchi 12-gauge shotgun. ( Supplied: NT Police )

Premier Will Hodgman has denied it would amount to watering down of the gun controls brought in two decades ago, after the Port Arthur massacre.

He also rejected suggestions it was sneaky for his government to not have made the information available on the party's website.

"I don't believe it to be so, key stakeholders or those with an interest in this have been advised, it's publicly available," he told ABC Radio's AM program.

The Premier said the party was trying to strike a balance between the needs of farmers and complying with national gun laws.

"The intent here is to support our farmers to allow them to best do their job, to do nothing is inconsistent with the National Firearms Agreement.

"We are aware of the sensitivities around these issues and we are seeking to find the balance, one that supports our families that work in the rural sector but which is not inconsistent with national gun laws."

Mr Hodgman hit out at Labor's claim the policy was reckless and deceptive.

"They have only just released their policy over the last couple of days and it's very similar to ours," he said.

But Labor leader Rebecca White rejected that suggestion.

"We have made no decisions of the nature that the Liberal Party have and we wouldn't do that on the eve of an election" she said.

Tasmania a 'national embarrassment'

Roland Browne from Gun Control Australia said the policy was against the National Firearms Agreement (NFA) established after the 1996 massacre, a claim denied by the Liberals.

"The Liberals need to be putting this policy forward well before an election and debating it," he said.

Will Hodgman says the changes are in line with the national laws agreement forged after the Port Arthur massacre. ( ABC News: Rhiana Whitson )

"It's a move against the National Firearms Agreement, which makes Tasmania a national embarrassment and that's occurring in a situation where Tasmania led the moved through the Liberal Party in 1996, to national uniform gun laws, and now we see them walking away from them.

"The key stakeholders for firearms laws are not just the shooters, it's the rest of the community that are protected by the firearms laws.

"That's all of us, including the shooters, and we only have to look back to the Port Arthur massacre to see how that had an incredible impact."

Mr Browne said the national agreement stipulated licences for a maximum of five years.

"The Liberals now want to extend it to 10 years, the Liberals want to broaden out the availability of Category C guns which is semi-automatic rifles and shotguns, pump action shotguns," he said.

"The affect is we'll see more of these guns in the hands of the community when the National Firearms Agreement was directed to reducing he number of these guns because they're so dangerous."

Changes 'totally unnecessary', firearms trainer says

Steve Suitor, a firearms trainer at Launceston TAFE with 45 years of experience, labelled the proposed changes as dangerous and unnecessary.

"Totally unnecessary. I don't think Category C firearms are necessary at all for crop protection," he told ABC Radio Hobart.

The Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association disagreed, with president Wayne Johnson saying those on the land needed access to category C weapons.

"We do need tools of trade now we can't poison like we used to be able to," he said.

He said he has been on a consultative group with the Government for the past two to three years.

"Every night of the week we could go out and shoot wallabies and possums because the populations have exploded so much over the last 10 to 15 years that there is so much pressure on our pastures," he said.

"We actually need something that is more effective than a single-shot firearm."

Howard laws need to stay: Shorten

Federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said he was deeply concerned about the plan and that Australians were proud of the gun laws introduced by former prime minister John Howard.

"What is deeply disturbing is revelations of backroom deals and not transparent policies and I just say to Will Hodgman, gun laws shouldn't be the subject of last-minute bargaining to chase a few votes," he said.

"They are just too important to everyone."

The Minister for Law Enforcement and Cyber Security, Angus Taylor, said in a statement the Turnbull Government would not support changes to the NFA.

"I do note that the Tasmanian Police Minister says Tasmania will not do anything inconsistent with the NFA," he said.