Australia's Parliament has delivered a resounding rebuke to the growing gun culture in the country, with sweeping reforms to tighten controls on firearms and introduce tougher penalties for hate speech. The move comes just months after two men opened fire at a Jewish festival in Bondi Beach, killing 15 people and leaving a community reeling from the attack.
The new laws include a national buyback scheme, allowing authorities to take back surplus and newly restricted firearms from the streets, with the aim of reducing Australia's four million registered guns. The government also plans to introduce stricter checks on firearm licence applications and improve information sharing between intelligence agencies on individuals trying to obtain gun licences.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke hailed the reforms as a "step forward" in protecting Australians from the likes of Bondi's attackers, who would not have been able to legally access firearms if such laws had been in place prior to the attack. The country's worst mass shooting in decades, which killed 35 people at Port Arthur in Tasmania in 1996, prompted significant changes to Australia's guns laws, and the new reforms are a major evolution of those existing measures.
However, not everyone is celebrating the new laws. Liberal lawmakers initially opposed the reform bills due to concerns about free speech and the legislation being unclear. The opposition party then agreed on a more watered-down version with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's government, sparking accusations that it had "mishandled" the original bill.
The hate speech reforms will also introduce new penalties for preachers who advocate violence and introduce stricter controls on groups deemed to spread hatred. However, opponents of the laws argue they will have a "chilling effect" on free debate and protest.
The Greens party opposed both bills outright, citing concerns about legitimate protest being stifled by overly broad language. Their opposition has led some observers to question whether the government's efforts go far enough in tackling growing antisemitism in Australia.
The new laws include a national buyback scheme, allowing authorities to take back surplus and newly restricted firearms from the streets, with the aim of reducing Australia's four million registered guns. The government also plans to introduce stricter checks on firearm licence applications and improve information sharing between intelligence agencies on individuals trying to obtain gun licences.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke hailed the reforms as a "step forward" in protecting Australians from the likes of Bondi's attackers, who would not have been able to legally access firearms if such laws had been in place prior to the attack. The country's worst mass shooting in decades, which killed 35 people at Port Arthur in Tasmania in 1996, prompted significant changes to Australia's guns laws, and the new reforms are a major evolution of those existing measures.
However, not everyone is celebrating the new laws. Liberal lawmakers initially opposed the reform bills due to concerns about free speech and the legislation being unclear. The opposition party then agreed on a more watered-down version with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's government, sparking accusations that it had "mishandled" the original bill.
The hate speech reforms will also introduce new penalties for preachers who advocate violence and introduce stricter controls on groups deemed to spread hatred. However, opponents of the laws argue they will have a "chilling effect" on free debate and protest.
The Greens party opposed both bills outright, citing concerns about legitimate protest being stifled by overly broad language. Their opposition has led some observers to question whether the government's efforts go far enough in tackling growing antisemitism in Australia.
! It's about time we tighten up our gun laws and make it harder for people like those who attacked that Jewish festival to get their hands on firearms. I mean, 15 lives lost is just devastating and it's heartbreaking that we have to deal with such things in our country.
. I don't want to see people being unfairly silenced or harassed for speaking out on issues they care about. The Greens party has a point that we need to make sure our laws aren't too broad and that we're not infringing on people's rights.
. It's about creating a safer society for everyone, especially vulnerable communities like Jewish Australians. Let's hope our politicians can work together to make sure these laws are effective and don't have any unintended consequences 
. About time they took this seriously after Bondi Beach massacre 
. Tougher penalties for hate speech 
and a national buyback scheme = win-win 
. But, watered-down version due to free speech concerns 
still lets some extremist voices breathe 
. More should've been done to tackle growing antisemitism 
. Still, it's progress 
. and what's with the national buyback scheme? are we really gonna get rid of 4 million guns overnight? lol nope didn't think so 
. i know the attack at bondi beach was a major wake up call, but these laws feel like a band aid solution to me 
. and don't even get me started on the greens party's opposition 
. can we just have some actual solutions instead of just trying to shut everyone down? 
The Greens party is totally right to be concerned about stifling legitimate protests and whatnot. Maybe they should've been involved in the process from the start instead of just opposing everything? 
... its not about free speech, its about keeping people safe 
