NSW Govt 'aiding push to ease gun laws'

The Greens have accused the New South Wales Government of courting the Shooters Party to help ease the passage of controversial legislation to ease the state's gun controls.

The Bill, introduced to the Upper House by Shooters Party MP Roy Smith, would relax some safeguards and remove the 28-day waiting period for people with a registration waiting for a second gun.

Mr Smith says he expects State Government support, given the Bill has been drafted in consultation with the Police Ministry.

"We drafted this legislation over a period of 12 months and we've had ongoing discussions with both the Police Ministry and NSW Firearms Registry," he said.

Greens MP Sylvia Hale says it is extraordinary that the ministry was involved.

"That's amazing access," she said. "It indicates the Government is really keen to duchess the Shooters."

The Government allowed the introduction of the bill to be fast-tracked last Thursday. Ms Hale says that is suspicious treatment of the cross-benches.

"This really does ring alarm bells. It suggests there's been some sort of conniving where the Government has agreed to let this Bill go through in return for some sort of deal.

"There are two deals at the moment. One is about electricity privatisation and the other would be the planning bills. I suspect it's the planning bills."

Police Minister David Campbell's office has confirmed talks were held between the ministry, the Premier's Department and the Shooters Party, but insists it in no way helped draft the Bill.

The legislation would also remove the need to register guns made before the 1900s and allow more people to apply for a self-loading or pump-action shotgun to use in clay target shooting competitions.

Mr Smith says they are simple changes.

"They are really just a tidying up of red tape," he said. "No-one's talking about returning semi-automatic military firearms to the community or anything like that."

There would also be more exemptions for people without a licence to shoot at ranges.