Former PM John Howard Slams Latest Gun Law Crackdown as ‘Diversion’ from Tackling Antisemitism After Bondi Beach Massacre
- John Howard claims gun law reforms are a distraction from addressing antisemitism in the wake of the Bondi Beach shooting
- The former PM says the government should focus on combating hatred against Jewish people instead of tightening gun laws
- Howard’s own gun reforms in 1996 were criticized for being too weak, but he now argues the current discussion is an ‘attempted diversion’
In a shocking swipe, former Australian Prime Minister John Howard has labelled the government’s push to tighten gun laws as a “diversion” from tackling the real issue of antisemitism. Howard, whose own gun reforms were hailed as a landmark achievement, claims the current debate is an “attempted diversion” from addressing the spread of hatred against Jewish people.
“I do not want this debate post this horrible event to be used, the focus on guns be used as a pretext to avoid the broader debate about the spread of hatred of Jewish people and antisemitism,” Howard told Sky News. His comments come amid a renewed push to strengthen Australia’s gun laws in the wake of the Bondi Beach massacre, which left multiple people dead.
Howard’s stance is a dramatic departure from his earlier gun reforms, which were introduced in response to the 1996 Port Arthur massacre. His reforms fundamentally reshaped Australia’s gun laws, introducing prohibitions on some weapons, restricting who could acquire weapons, and funding buybacks to remove guns from the community.
The former PM’s remarks have sparked controversy, with many arguing that his comments are a thinly veiled attempt to deflect attention from the need for stricter gun laws. However, Howard remains adamant that the government’s focus should be on combating antisemitism, which he believes is the root cause of the Bondi Beach tragedy.
“If the prime minister, immediately after the attack of the 7th of October 2023, had called an all-points cymbals and drum national press conference, convened a meeting of the national cabinet, he could have done that … and had that on the day after the attack, you would not have had that obscene demonstration at the Opera House,” Howard said.
The Opposition Leader, Sussan Ley, has declined to comment on the issue, while her Nationals counterpart, David Littleproud, has argued that the licensing regime has worked and the focus should be on the individuals who carry out such atrocities. The debate is set to continue, with the national cabinet scheduled to consider proposals to limit ownership further, restrict what guns are available for ownership, and how many a person can own.