Australia Reinforces Gun Safety: Albanese Launches Buyback Program Amid NSW's New Restrictions

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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced that the government will introduce legislation for a gun buyback scheme, which will be jointly funded by the states and the federal government.

The NSW government will seek to introduce a cap of four guns for owners, and move to restrict public gatherings during “high-risk times” — providing further detail on restrictions to protests flagged earlier in the week.

It would seek to be able to enforce the ban on demonstrations for up to three months.

Albanese also announced increased funding for an antisemitism taskforce, and dismissed calls to recall parliament next week to debate legislation.

Fifteen people were killed on Sunday in an attack on a Jewish Hanukkah celebration at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, which police allege was carried out by two gunmen — identified as father and son Sajid Akram, 50, and Naveed Akram, 24. It was Australia’s worst mass shooting since the 1996 Port Arthur massacre.

Naveed Akram has been charged with 15 counts of murder and one count of committing a terrorist act among 59 offences over the deadly attack.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced an ambitious initiative aimed at collecting and destroying “hundreds of thousands” of firearms across Australia. This move comes in response to the increasing number of guns in the country, which now exceeds 4 million—surpassing the count at the time of the Port Arthur massacre nearly three decades ago.

“The terrible events at Bondi show we need to get more guns off our streets,” he said at a press conference in Canberra on Friday morning.

“We know that one of these terrorists held a firearm licence and had six guns, in spite of living in the middle of Sydney’s suburbs.”

States and territories will be responsible for the collection and processing of firearms and the subsequent payments for surrendered firearms, he said, which is “consistent with the approach that was taken in 1996.”

In a gesture of mourning and solidarity, Albanese declared that flags on all New South Wales and Australian government buildings would be flown at half-mast. This act is intended to honor the lives lost and acknowledge the collective grief felt nationwide.

When asked about whether there would be a cap on the number of guns one person could own, Albanese said that would be determined by the government.

However, he acknowledged he was surprised Sajid Akram was allowed to own six guns.

“There is something wrong with the licensing laws when this guy can have six high-powered rifles which is why the government is acting,” he said.

Albanese also announced 21 December would be recognised as a national day of mourning for the victims of the Bondi shooting.

Albanese did not hold back in addressing the issue of violence, stating, “I’m not going to mince my words — too much of this is directed at the Jewish community.” His comments highlight a growing concern over targeted discrimination and violence.

In light of these concerns, a call for legislative action has been made. “We demand that the parliament is recalled to pass legislation to eradicate antisemitism and counter violent extremism. That can happen as early as next week,” a spokesperson announced on Thursday afternoon.

Albanese announced that the government will also boost funding to Operation Avalite, an antisemitism taskforce run by the Australian Federal Police (AFP), to “disrupt high-harm, high-impact, politically motivated violence, communal violence, and hate crimes.”

The prime minister did not say what this “boost” would entail.

AFP commissioner Krissy Barrett said that there are 161 current Operation Avalite investigations underway since it was established in December 2024.

“There are groups and individuals across Australia who are eroding the country’s social fabric by advocating hatred, fear, and humiliation,” Barrett said.

She emphasized the importance of this legislative effort, adding, “We’re going to make sure that we get the laws right,” underscoring the government’s commitment to tackling these pressing issues effectively and decisively.

‘Not practical’ to recall parliament, Albanese says

Albanese has been under pressure from the opposition to recall parliament before Christmas to introduce new laws to combat antisemitism in Australia.

Albanese announced the proposed legislation on Thursday.

The proposed legislation includes:

— Aggravated hate speech offences for preachers and leaders who promote violence.

— Increased penalties for hate speech promoting violence.

— Making hate an aggravating factor in sentencing crimes for online threats and harassment.

— Developing a regime for listing organisations whose leaders engage in hate speech, promoting violence or racial hatred.

— Developing a narrow federal offence for serious vilification based on race and/or advocating racial supremacy.

Opposition leader Sussan Ley has accused Labor of announcing its new laws to combat antisemitism two years late and allowing antisemitism “to fester.”

“We demand that the parliament is recalled to pass legislation to eradicate antisemitism and counter violent extremism. That can happen as early as next week,” she said on Thursday afternoon.

But Albanese said “it’s not practical” to recall parliament so soon and that getting the “complex laws” will take time.

“It’s not practical, and I suspect that the Opposition leader knows that that’s not the case,” he said.

“We’re going to make sure that we get the laws right.”

NSW to introduce gathering laws, reform gun laws

NSW Premier Chris Minns is recalling the state’s parliament next week to debate gun law reform in the wake of the terror attack.

The first bill to be dealt with is on firearms legislation and he also flagged preemptively banning certain protests on international issues, he said at a Wednesday press conference.

Speaking on Friday afternoon, he announced the proposed legislation in more detail.

“The government will introduce a bill to impose a cap of four firearms per individual with strict exemptions for primary producers and sporting shooters,” he said.

“[We] will reclassify straight, pull, pump-action, button, lever release firearms into category C — limiting their access primarily to farmers, agriculture, primary producers.

He also announced a reduction in magazine capacities for category A and B firearms to a maximum of five to ten rounds.

A complete ban on firearms that can use belt-fed magazines will be introduced, and the state will remove the avenue of appeal once it’s been decided someone’s gun licence should be revoked.

The other piece of legislation will look to restrict public gatherings during “high-risk times,” Minns announced, saying there is a “public expectation” for “a summer of calm rather than one of division and hatred and protests.”

“The government will act to ensure that we restrict the authorisation of public assemblies during high-risk times like when there is a terrorist event in New South Wales,” he said.

“A declaration must be called within 14 days of a terrorism designation being reached under the Police Powers Act.”

It will then be for 14 days, but can be extended for a further 14 days up to a period of three months, he explained.

“We hope this will be a strong signal to the community that assemblies in public spaces in a designated area are unsafe or discouraged during a period of mourning or division or terrorism,” Minns said.

The NSW government will also introduce legislation to ban ISIS flags in the state to “ensure that they’re not used as part of demented terrorist organisation propaganda”.

ISIS refers to the branch of the self-proclaimed Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq. Its flag is also used by the terror group’s affiliates in other parts of the world.