The Coalition has announced a $100-million plan to crackdown on gun violence.
Thea Cowie reports.
"Stopping the guns" has been added to Tony Abbott's list of things to stop, right after "stopping the boats".
"I regret to say that the current government, in losing control of our borders, has not just failed to stop the boats but it's failed to stop the guns as well. Under the former Coalition government over 60 per cent of incoming air cargoes were screened. It's down to under 10 per cent because of some 60 million dollars in cuts to the customs budget."
The Coalition says it would reduce the number of illegal guns and drugs arriving in Australia with a $100-million boost to customs screening.
New South Wales Premier Barry O'Farrell says reducing arms imports is a good step towards reducing gun crime.
"More than 90 per cent of all drive-by shootings involve handguns. As Tony Abbott says correctly 100 per cent of those handguns are imported into this country. So reversing Labor's cuts to customs, to the Federal Police and the Australian Crime Commission will go a long way to stopping gun importation into this country."
The Coalition's plan also involves tougher penalties for people caught illegally importing firearms.
The Opposition says gun runners are currently getting away with a "slap on the wrist", with courts imposing fines and light penalties.
But under new Commonwealth Laws the Opposition plans to introduce, anyone caught importing illegal firearms would face a mandatory minimum five-year jail sentence.
New South Wales Premier Barry O'Farrell says the federal Labor government is not doing enough to protect Australians.
"Look New South Wales police are seizing guns off the street every week but as fast as they take those guns more are coming into this country. And the worst scandal was early last year where they intercepted the importation of 200 glock pistols through an Australia Post sub-agency."
The Coalition is also pledging to work with states and territories to set up local anti-gang squads.
But Justice Minister Jason Clare says cracking down on illegal gun imports won't solve the problem because most illegal weapons have been here a long time.
"You've got a quarter of a million guns on the streets of Australia in the hands of criminals. A lot of guns out there - most of them - are guns that have been there since before the Port Arthur massacre or guns that are stolen from legitimate owners. We need to give police more power to go in and seize those guns. Often police will know who the criminals are but don't have the powers don't have the powers to stop and search them."
Under the Australian Constitution, each state and territory is responsible for maintaining law and order within its borders.
The Australian Greens have already unveiled their own plan to crack down on gun crime.
They say they'd spend $350-million banning semi-automatic handguns and buying them back from their owners.
Party leader Senator Christine Milne says the Greens would also ban the importation and possession of semi-automatic handguns.
"It's pretty clear that if you want to end and really act on the number of drive-by shootings you really have to take semi-automatic handguns out of the equation and that's why we're saying we'd want a 12-month amnesty so that we can make the streets safer."
Already in Sydney this year there have been more than 70 shootings in public places, resulting in almost a dozen deaths.
NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics show that despite the recent spate of violence, gun crime was more prevalent in the late 1990s.
