Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced the biggest gun buyback since the Port Arthur massacre almost 30 years ago, as he works with states to impose strict limits on the number of guns a person can own and calls for bipartisan support to enact the reforms in parliament.
The federal government is cracking down on gun ownership after it was revealed slain Bondi gunman Sajid Akram legally owned six weapons despite his son and fellow shooter Naveed having been investigated for alleged terrorism links.
The Nationals branded the buyback a “smokescreen” for lack of action on Islamist extremism and Liberal leader Sussan Ley demanded more detail before announcing a position. Both parties are calling for a royal commission into antisemitism, which Albanese has rebuffed.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announces the gun buyback on Friday.Credit: Getty Images
Albanese said on Friday he expected the scheme to recover hundreds of thousands of guns, which would be surrendered by individuals for financial compensation, with the federal government splitting the bill 50-50 with states and territories.
“The government is proposing that states and territories will be responsible for the collection, processing and payment to individuals for surrendered firearms. The Australian Federal Police will then be responsible for the destruction of these firearms,” he told reporters in Canberra.
Minister for Home Affairs Tony Burke said the number of guns a person could legally own would be negotiated with each state and territory, after national cabinet agreed in principle to bring in caps earlier in the week.
“[The limits are] what’s now being negotiated with the states in terms of what those numbers should be … but effectively, if it becomes illegal to be holding the number of firearms that you hold, then at that point you have to dispose of it. And the buyback scheme is the way that you do that.”
Albanese said Australians overwhelmingly want politicians to co-operate on the response to the Bondi attack and he was seeking the Coalition’s support.
“I’ve made it very clear publicly that I want to see bipartisanship on this issue. But that’s not something that I can impose,” he said.
A spokesman for Opposition Leader Sussan Ley said the Coalition supports a “proportionate examination” of gun laws, but that the government must provide more details before it would form a position on the buyback.
“The government says this won’t be determined for months, but there are laws that the parliament could pass today to directly eradicate antisemitism, combat extremism and strengthen counterterrorism measures,” she said.
The Nationals were sceptical of the buyback, with party leader David Littleproud branding it a “shallow smokescreen”.
“You’ve got to look at this bloke [Albanese] and see how shallow he has become in this desperate attempt to divert attention away from the real problem, which is Islamic extremism,” he said.
The Coalition called for the government to recall parliament to work on new laws to curb “Islamic extremism”. A government source said on Thursday the departments of Home Affairs and the Attorney-General would work through Christmas and the new year to fast-track antisemitism legislation, and MPs would be called back in January if the legislation was finalised.
According to a government source, it is estimated the total cost of the buyback scheme would be $1 billion. The Sporting Shooters Association of Australia claimed it could be as much as $15 billion, when considering business buy-outs, equipment and firearms purchases.
Western Australia is the only state that already caps the number of guns a person can have, and the Cook government set aside more than $64.3 million for the buyback scheme that ran for six months last year.
NSW Premier Chris Minns has recalled state parliament to debate legislation next week that would cap firearm ownership in his state at four per person, with an exemption allowing primary producers and sporting shooters to hold 10.
NSW Police Minister Yasmin Catley said on Friday she expected NSW – the state with the most guns, at more than 1.1 million – would need three to four times the WA budget.
The prime minister said it was clear there was a problem with the licensing system after his backbencher Dan Repacholi – a former professional shooter – on Friday morning said NSW’s reforms should not “unfairly target responsible, law-abiding firearms owners”.
“If a bloke in Bonnyrigg needs six high-powered rifles and is able to get them under the existing licensing scheme, then there’s something wrong. I think Australians can see that,” Albanese said.
Repacholi was contacted for comment about the federal government’s buyback scheme.
The Greens called for the government to go further than capping the number of guns, including the removal of recreational hunting as a reason to hold a firearms licence, ongoing character checks for gun owners and bans on rapid-action and high-powered weapons in cities.
More coverage on the Bondi terror attack
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