Why a minister is being investigated over this photo
Police are looking into whether NSW Police Minister David Elliott broke the law after photographs surfaced of him firing two prohibited guns.
The photos were posted on Mr Elliott's official Facebook page in September 2018 to mark the opening of a rifle range at the John Morony Correctional Centre in Sydney's northwest.
He was corrections minister at the time.
In the images, Mr Elliott is pictured holding a submachine gun and a pistol.
“Even though I’m not one to advocate for the weapons fraternity, I’m very grateful that our officers are well equipped and trained in the profession of arms in the name of community safety,” Mr Elliot wrote on Facebook in 2018.
In a statement on Monday, he said he was advised Corrective Services NSW was potentially in breach of the Firearms Act “with respect to potentially hundreds of individuals, including myself, who have used the range”.
"I understand potential breaches could date back up to 20 years," Mr Elliott said.
"Given the safety and security of firearms is of the utmost importance to me, I immediately asked the Police Commissioner to investigate the operation of the CSNSW firing range to ensure they comply with the relevant legislation governing the use of firearms within their training establishments."
A spokeswoman for NSW Police confirmed they are looking into the incident to determine whether the Firearms Act has been breached.
"The matter will now be referred to an appropriate command in order that further inquiries can be conducted with Corrective Services NSW to establish if breaches of the act have occurred previously," she said.
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