Canberra: Australian police are set to be granted powers to tackle gun crime, including the ability to search suspects without a court warrant, the Australian newspaper reported on Saturday, without saying where it got the information.
Australian states and territories are considering drafting laws comparable with those introduced by the New South Wales state that allow police officers to search anyone subject to an existing firearms prohibition order without a court order, the newspaper said.
More than 1,000 people, houses and cars have been searched for guns or gun parts since the NSW state law came into effect in November 2013 as police try to crack down on organised crime and prevent terror attacks.
Meanwhile, Australian voters have marked down the federal government’s performance on key policy issues since Malcolm Turnbull ousted Tony Abbott as prime minister, the Australian Financial Review reported.
The government’s performance rating fell across all 11 policies, including the cost of living and border security, the newspaper reported Saturday, citing a survey by JWS Research. The survey of 1,100 voters was conducted from Nov. 5 to Nov. 10 and the previous poll was taken in June, the AFR reported. It asked respondents about issues ranging from health care to the economy, education and immigration.
While Turnbull has turned around the government’s standing with voters, he has yet to improve scores on key issues, the newspaper said. Turnbull deposed Abbott in September after the government trailed in opinion polls for more than 12 months. His coalition led the Labor opposition by 53 per cent to 47 per cent on a two-party preferred basis, according to a survey published in the Australian newspaper on November 24.
