GUN runners attempting to smuggle firearms into Australia will face a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in jail - for a first offence - under tough anti-gun laws proposed by the Coalition.

media_camera Opposition leader Tony Abbott on the campaign trail in Sydney today. Picture: AFP

Mr Abbott has announced that under a Coalition government, anyone trying to get guns into the country will face new Commonwealth laws aimed at stamping out the "slap on the wrist" culture of courts simply imposing fines and light penalties.

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Unveiling a national anti-crime policy in western Sydney as shootings continue to plague the community, Mr Abbott has promised to make gun crime a federal issue, pledging to change Commonwealth laws to impose a five-year sentence for importation of illegal firearms.

media_camera Tony Abbott and his wife, Margie, and daughter, Frances, leaving Brookvale Park.

At present, the maximum sentence is 10 years, but there is no mandatory minimum. And most offenders are fined.

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Under Mr Abbott's proposed laws, gun runners would go to jail for five years, in a policy which he claims will stop guns getting on to the streets of Sydney in the first place.

"The people of western Sydney need a federal government that will do what's needed to keep our streets safe," Mr Abbott told The Daily Telegraph.

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"These guns aren't manufactured in Australia, they're smuggled in from overseas and that's why Labor has done the wrong thing by the people of western Sydney and communities right across Australia.

media_camera Tony Abbott with Premier Barry O'Farrell, Fiona Scott and Michael Keenan.

"They're also letting down our local police who work so hard to protect our communities but are currently fighting an uphill battle to stop this flow of firearms. If elected, the Coalition will ensure Customs has the resources it needs to stop the flood of illegal guns.

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"We will work to double the current rate of cargo screenings and work to put in place tough jail terms for criminals who smuggle in and use these dangerous weapons."

media_camera Tony Abbott visiting St Marys Police Station with police Commissioner Andrew Scipione and Premier Barry O'Farrell, in Western Sydney.

Mr Abbott, who yesterday visited Brookvale Oval to repledge $10 million for an upgrade, has attempted to blame the federal government for rising crime, by claiming weaker borders were allowing a flood of guns into the country. But the NSW Coalition government of Barry O'Farrell has also worn much of the blame for the failure to tackle the problem.

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NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione has called for judges to impose tougher sentences for gun crime, claiming offenders often got away with nothing more than a fine.

Mr Abbott vowed to restore $53 million in federal budget cuts to Customs and roll out a $100 million seizure program for the agency, to double the number of searches.

Mr Abbott says the coalition will also work with states and territories to set up local anti-gang squads.

NSW Liberal Premier Barry O'Farrell called the commitments "terrific".

media_camera Australian opposition leader Tony Abbott laughs while talking to supporters in Sydney. Picture: AFP

But Justice Minister Jason Clare says the illegal importation of guns is just a small part of the bigger problem of the number of illegal weapons in Australia.

"We've got a quarter of a million illegal weapons in the hands of criminals on the streets right now," Mr Clare told AAP on Monday while campaigning in the seat of Adelaide held by Labor's Kate Ellis.

"Most of those have been here a long time. They're either weapons that weren't handed in after the Port Arthur massacre or they're weapons that are stolen from legitimate owners."

Mr Clare says he's advocating for all states to implement firearm prohibition orders which already exists in South Australia.

That will give police the power to randomly search serious criminals for firearms.

Originally published as Abbott bites the bullet on gun crime