Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has declared he is "ready for the fight" to strengthen Australia's firearms legislation in the wake of the Bondi Junction terror attack. This move comes as the gun lobby and the National party mount significant resistance, arguing the focus should instead be on combating radicalisation and antisemitism.
Political Divisions Over the Core Issue
The debate has exposed a sharp political divide. Nationals leader David Littleproud asserted that "this isn't a gun problem, it's an ideology problem," criticising the proposed legal changes as a distraction. This sentiment was echoed by former Liberal Prime Minister John Howard, architect of the landmark Port Arthur reforms, who called the gun law debate a "diversion" from the central issue of antisemitism.
Howard accused the Albanese government of failing to bring sufficient energy to a broad-based attack on this evil. However, the push has garnered powerful symbolic support from Walter Mikac, who lost his wife and two daughters at Port Arthur. He urged for "courage and a renewed commitment to public safety" as the guiding principle of firearm laws.
Proposed Reforms and Systemic Weaknesses
Following a national cabinet meeting, federal and state leaders agreed to investigate several key areas for gun law reform. The proposed measures include:
- Limiting the number and types of weapons an individual can own.
- Reviewing licensing procedures, including greater sharing of criminal intelligence between agencies.
- Restricting gun licenses to Australian citizens only.
Albanese highlighted a critical flaw, noting that the system is only as strong as its weakest link and raising concerns that state licensing bodies cannot adequately share information. This was underscored by questions around how alleged Bondi attacker Sajid Akram, whose son had been investigated by ASIO in 2019, was granted a firearms licence in 2023 and owned six guns.
NSW Premier Chris Minns stated a desire to craft laws allowing police to deny licenses based on criminal intelligence, not just a criminal record. A long-awaited national firearms register, first recommended after Port Arthur, will be accelerated but is not expected to be fully operational until late 2026.
Fierce Resistance from Shooting Groups
The proposed tightening of laws is already meeting with fierce opposition from firearm advocacy organisations. The Shooters Union president, Graham Park, warned of a "massive pushback" from the community of licensed owners, who he said are tired of being used as a "punching bag" for political diversion.
Tom Kenyon of the Sporting Shooters' Association labelled the focus on gun laws over radicalisation as "wasted effort." While supporting citizenship as a prerequisite, he argued that limiting firearm numbers was an artificial measure, as a terrorist act could technically be committed with just one or two weapons. The federal opposition has called for any legal changes to be secondary to a primary focus on stamping out antisemitism.
