Roy’s Roundup: Firearms laws, early learning, seniors and civics

G’day folks,

The year is getting back into full swing, with January well underway and only a couple of weeks before Parliament returns for its first sitting of 2026. I hope people were able to have a bit of rest, recreation and time with friends and family over the Christmas and New Year season and have returned refreshed and ready to get back into it.

Like every year there is a lot to do, but, of course, one of the big things we are working on this year is the anti-terrorism laws passed by the government just before Christmas. Now, the terrorism attack revealed that more needs to be done to keep people safe, but this was an ill-considered response. These laws were rushed through, without any consultation with those who would be most affected and do not even go to the heart of what caused the attack.

The legislation allows the police to shut down protests, but most of the other components would not have prevented the attack, instead they hit law-abiding firearms owners.

A lot of the legislation is complicated and will take time to be rolled out, there are also budgetary problems that will need to sorted out for components like the firearms buyback, so there is still time to reverse some of the laws, either through amendments or by a legal challenge.

People are justifiably angry. I sponsored an online petition which broke records for how fast it collected signatures.

I have also given my support to an online campaign to raise money for a legal challenge, which has so far raised over half a million dollars, and I will continue to talk to the government about their legislation.

Meanwhile, I have been getting out around the electorate. Last week I was out on the road, dropping by Tottenham, Condobolin and Warren. This week I have meetings in Sydney before I head back out again.

Federal Government Subsidises Three Days of Early Learning

The first five years of child’s life are so important. Studies have shown that children who have access to early learning in those first five years have better outcomes as an adult.

Which is why I was pleased to see that as of January 5, 2026, the federal government’s guarantee of three-day of subsidised early childhood learning came into effect, replacing the former Child Care Subsidy (CCS) activity test.

This means that every child who needs it is now guaranteed access to at least three days of subsidised early learning per week, regardless of their parents’ work or study status.

It’s a huge win for children, families and educators – and one that wouldn’t have happened without the movement we’ve built together. It will potentially have a huge impact on children’s lives.

The former activity test unfairly excluded thousands of families from accessing the care they needed.

This guarantee of three days subsidised learning is a good start, but another major problem with early childhood learning in Barwon is the lack of access to centres providing it. That is something we are continuing to work on with the state and federal governments.

For more details of the subsidy, and to find out if you are eligible, go to https://www.education.gov.au/early-childhood/providers/child-care-subsidy/3-day-guarantee

NSW Regional Health Strategic Plan

I have often said that any government existing or new program, scheme, policy, service or procedure can be improved with community consultation. Which is why I introduced a bill that set guidelines for best practice consultation back in 2024.

But the other side of the consultation is that communities need to engage with government agencies offering the consultation.

Which is why I urge everyone with a stake in the regional health system to have their say on the NSW Regional Health Strategic Plan 2022-2032. This document sets out the plans, pathways and priorities for providing health services in regional NSW. It can only be improved with input from regional communities.

To read the plan go to https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/regional/Pages/strategic-plan.aspx

To have your say go to www.haveyoursay.nsw.gov.au/regional-health-strategic-plan

New GM at Lachlan Shire Council

On my recent trip around Barwon, I had the opportunity to catch up with Lachlan Shire Mayor, John Medcalf (OAM) and Ian Greenham, the new General Manager (GM).

We had a chat over lunch at the Hotel Tottenham.

As a local Member, we have a fair bit of involvement with the 13 Council areas across Barwon. Lachlan Council is doing some great things, and it was a good chance to talk about some of those and to hear some of their concerns. We discussed grain transport in the region, the Condo Visitor Information centre (great project) firearms laws, feral pigs and seasonal conditions.

A great opportunity to get to know Ian a bit, often it’s the GM my team and I are speaking with.

Seniors

The eagerly awaited 2026 Seniors Diary is now available. More than just a way to keep track of appointments, this diary is an important resource for our well-aged citizens. It contains useful tips and practical information on a range of topics.

You can get one from one of my offices in:

• Narrabri at 60 Maitland Street, (02) 6792 1422,
• Cobar at 11 Barton Street, (02) 6836 3722
• or Broken Hill at 1/142 Argent Street, (08) 8087 3315

If you can’t get to an office, give them a call and we will see if we can work something out.

While we’re on the topic of our well-aged citizens, nominations are now open for Local Senior of the Year Award 2026.

This award gives recognition to those seniors who have worked hard to make their community a better place, or someone who has gone under the radar but deserves a bit of recognition.

Find out more about the awards at https://www.nsw.gov.au/arts-and-culture/seniors-festival/about-contact/local-achievement-awards

You can also download a nomination form at https://www.roybutler.com.au/nominate_someone_for_the_local_senior_of_the_year_award_2026

$20,000 Scholarships for regional students

Young people from the west of NSW often find themselves at a disadvantage when it comes to access to tertiary education. This is why the organisation OCTEC offers the $20,000 Glenn Taylor Scholarship to students in regional areas.

This scholarship is designed to empower students from diverse backgrounds, including: • People living with disability • First Nations students • Mature-aged learners • Those facing financial or personal challenges

Applications close: Midnight, February 28, 2026

To learn more about the scholarships and to find out if you might be eligible go to https://octec.org.au/glenntaylorscholarship/

Don’t let distance or financial hardship hold you back—education belongs to everyone!

Resilience through tourism

Country towns that are economically reliant on agriculture are vulnerable to shocks caused by drought and flood. But towns that have other industries such as mining and tourism are generally more resilient.

Which is part of the idea behind Country Heartline, a tourism initiative driven by the Coonamble Shire Council, Bogan Shire Council, and Warren Shire Council with support from drought resilience funding. Country Heartline encourages people to visit this part of the world which, as they say, is “more than a road trip, and greater than a destination – it’s an invitation to slow down and discover the rhythm of country life.”

The invitation is also extended to people based in these shires to start their own agri-tourism venture, taking advantage of recent changes to support new businesses (to find out more go to https://countryheartline.com.au/resources/agritourism-startup-handbook/).

To find out more about visiting the region go to https://countryheartline.com.au/

Civics – how laws are made

As I have mentioned, before Christmas I spent a lot of time and effort opposing the NSW Government’s Terrorism and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025, which included tougher firearms laws.

These laws were rushed through, which is not the best way to create legislation. Normally, the process of creating laws takes a long time. Usually it begins with an idea, when someone sees something can address a public need or solve a problem. This idea needs to be properly considered before it progresses to a policy or stated intention to create a new law or amend an existing one.

It is best if this part of the process takes time, taking into account the evidence on whether the law is necessary or desirable, or that it will even do what it is supposed to do. This should include public consultation, running the idea by people who will be affected, as well as consultation with experts in a given field. When this stage is rushed, due to political pressures, or even public outcry, it can result in some poor, or ill-considered, legislation, which may have unexpected and undesirable outcomes.

Once the person, party or organisation, has identified what exactly needs to change in law, this is drafted in what is known as a bill. This is done by the Parliamentary Counsel’s Office, to make sure that it meets all the legal requirements for something that may, eventually become a law.

A bill is then introduced into the house, either in the Legislative Assembly or the Legislative Council, by one of the members (except for money bills, or bills that draw on funds from the treasury, which must be introduced in the Assembly).

While most bills are introduced by the Government, some are introduced by the Opposition or by other members who are not members of a major party. A member needs to pass a Notice of Motion of their intention to introduce a bill before it is introduced. The first introduction of the bill is known as the First Reading, at which the member introducing the bill reads the title and it is printed, with explanatory notes, and made available to other members so that they can have time to consider what is being proposed in the bill.

At a Second Reading the bill will be debated and a vote taken “that this bill should be a read a second time”. If enough members vote no, the bill is defeated. If the majority vote yes, the bill goes to the next stage.

If the Government does not have a clear majority of votes in the Assembly, or the Council, they will need to convince either the opposition party or enough members of the Crossbench (minor parties and independents) to vote for the bill. While often the convincing takes place outside of the chamber, some members may be convinced by the debate itself.

If there are amendments to the bill it may go to a stage known as “consideration in detail”. At this stage the bill may also be referred to a committee to consider its merits, mechanisms, or its potential effectiveness.

The bill then moves to a Third Reading, there may be a brief debate, but mostly this will just be concluding statements, then a vote taken. If the vote is a majority “yes” it will pass to the other house for consideration. The bill then goes through the same stages in the other house, where it may also be amended. If it passes with a majority vote it returns to the house of origin, where any amendments will be considered and if they are agreed to then the bill is sent to the Governor for assent.

Once the bill has been voted on by both houses and given the Governor’s assent it becomes law and will come into effect in 28 days from the date of assent, or on whatever date is specified in the bill.

It is a complicated process, but one that allows a range of voices to be heard. While we have seen that it can take a matter of days from the time the idea for the bill is conceived to when it is given assent, that is not the ideal situation. It is better to allow the bill to be properly debated, in and out of Parliament, that people be consulted, that affected people and organisations be allowed to show support or opposition for the bill.

Once a bill becomes law it can be challenged on legal grounds, for example as contravening some part of the constitution. Members can also propose their own bills to amend the law, but if the government opposes the amendment, it is unlikely it will pass.

To find out more go to https://education.parliament.nsw.gov.au/how-parliament-makes-law/

Fun Fact: In 1886 debate on a bill about customs duties went for so long that the Legislative Assembly sat for 56 hours. During that debate John Cash Neild, the Member for Paddington, gave the longest speech in NSW Parliamentary history, lasting eight hours.

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