In the aftermath of the recent shooting at Bondi, the spotlight has turned sharply onto Australia’s gun control regulations. Both federal and state governments have swiftly responded, pledging to revamp the country’s firearms legislation.
During a national cabinet meeting yesterday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced a unified commitment among leaders to enact reforms. These changes aim to address the number of firearms an individual can possess under a single licence, increase the scrutiny on licence holders, and bolster the authority of law enforcement agencies.
New South Wales Police have revealed that one of the suspects involved in the Bondi incident, Sajid Akram, had held a firearms licence for a decade and owned six guns. This revelation has reignited debates and calls from gun control advocates to tighten existing laws.
Since the attack, voices advocating for stricter gun laws have grown louder. Roland Browne, vice-president of Gun Control Australia, emphasized on the Today program this morning that public safety must remain paramount.
“The focus should be on a public health approach,” Browne asserted, “which means limiting gun access to those who genuinely need them, such as farmers, target shooters, and professionals involved in animal control.”
“The balance needs to be strongly in favour of public health response by limiting … farmers, target shooters and people who use guns professionally to control animals,” he said.
Browne also called on the federal government to implement strict limits on the number of firearms people can have in their homes, and restrictions on owning guns in suburban and urban areas.
