Overview
- Parliament reconvenes for a special two‑day sitting to debate separate bills for a national gun buyback and tougher hate‑speech laws drafted after the Dec. 14 Bondi Beach attack that killed 15, which police say was inspired by Islamic State.
- Official Home Affairs data show 4,113,735 registered firearms in 2025, the highest on record, including 1,158,654 in New South Wales.
- The package includes limits on how many guns a person can own, tighter background checks, restrictions on certain weapons, a fast‑tracked national register, and a requirement that licence holders be Australian citizens.
- The buyback is projected to cost about $1 billion under a proposed 50:50 federal–state split, with the Northern Territory rejecting participation and leaders in Tasmania and Queensland warning against the expense; South Australia has flagged significant costs.
- The Greens have agreed to back the legislation, while Nationals leader David Littleproud opposes the reforms, arguing they penalize law‑abiding owners rather than address extremist ideology.