Australia Unleashes MASSIVE Gun Crackdown: National Buyback Scheme to Seize Back 4 MILLION Firearms in Wake of Bondi Terror Attack
- Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announces drastic measures to curb gun violence, including a national firearms register and limits on individual gun ownership
- The scheme is a bid to prevent another tragedy like the Bondi terror attack, which left 15 people, including a 10-year-old girl, dead
- More than 4 million registered weapons are set to be seized and destroyed, with owners to be compensated for their surrendered firearms
In a watershed moment for Australian gun laws, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has unveiled a sweeping national gun buyback scheme, aimed at seizing back a staggering 4 million firearms in the wake of the devastating Bondi terror attack.
The drastic measures, announced just days after the deadly attack on a Hanukkah celebration, will see the introduction of a national firearms register, limits on individual gun ownership, and further restrictions on the types of weapons that are legal.
“In 1996, the then-Howard government did the right thing … We need to go further,” Prime Minister Albanese declared, as he vowed to take action to prevent another tragedy like the Bondi attack, which left 15 people, including a 10-year-old girl, dead.
The scheme, which is set to be funded on a 50-50 basis with the states and territories, will see authorities destroying surrendered firearms, with owners to be compensated for their seized weapons.
The move comes as police continue to hunt a suspected gunman through rugged terrain in Victoria’s High Country, and follows a national cabinet meeting where state and territory leaders unanimously agreed to explore ways to bolster gun laws.
In a stark reminder of the scale of the problem, research organisation The Australia Institute has revealed that there are more than 4 million registered firearms across the country, with more than 600 of those registered to just two people in inner-city Sydney.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said the new scheme builds on the gun reform measures announced by national cabinet, and will “be a piece of that puzzle” to tackle the issue of gun violence.
However, details of the scheme, including whether any exceptions will be made for sport shooting clubs, are yet to be determined, and will be decided by a “seniors officials group” of state and territory police ministers who will meet for the first time on Monday.