Overview
- Both bills cleared a late-night Senate vote, with gun reforms backed by the Greens and the hate package carried with Liberal support as the Nationals split.
- The gun laws create a national buyback, tighten licence checks using intelligence inputs, restrict imports, and bar non‑citizens from purchasing firearms.
- Implementation now hinges on state cooperation for the buyback, with Queensland refusing to participate and the prime minister declining extra federal funding to entice states.
- The hate laws establish a process to list and prohibit hate groups on ASIO advice with attorney‑general oversight, add aggravated offences for religious or spiritual leaders carrying penalties up to 12 years, and expand visa cancellation powers.
- Ministers acknowledged the measures were watered down from initial plans, with civil‑liberties concerns flagged and elements expected to face legal testing.