TO: The Honourable the Speaker and Members of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland

Queensland residents draws to the attention of the House that suppressors have been incorrectly classified as Category R Weapons. A suppressor is a muzzle device that reduces the sound caused by discharging a firearm from a level that causes hearing damage to a level that will not cause hearing damage. A suppressor can be used in addition to PPE and will protect the hearing of the firearm user and of those in the immediate vicinity. A suppressor does not silence a gunshot as portrayed in the movies. It merely reduces the sound level. In this day and age we should be doing more to protect the hearing of law abiding members of the community who enjoy recreational shooting.

Your petitioners, therefore, request the House to re-classify suppressors as Category A weapons in the legislation Weapons Categories Regulation 1997. Suppressors are currently classified as Category R weapons which is for machine guns, hand grenades, bazookas, rocket launchers and land mines etc. However, a suppressor is an inert object that is incapable of causing harm and in fact reduces harm and does not belong in Category R which is for weapons of war.