**CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA** – In a swift and decisive response to the nation's deadliest mass shooting in nearly three decades, the Australian government has launched a comprehensive national gun buyback scheme and pledged to enact stringent new laws targeting hate speech. The measures, announced by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Friday, are a direct consequence of the horrific attack at Bondi Beach last Sunday, which claimed the lives of 15 people and injured dozens more.
The Bondi Beach incident, which targeted attendees at a Jewish festival, has sent shockwaves across Australia and reignited long-standing debates surrounding firearms regulation and the insidious spread of extremist ideologies. The government's multi-pronged approach seeks to both physically reduce the number of weapons in circulation and combat the virulent rhetoric that may have fuelled such violence.
The newly established gun buyback program, a cornerstone of the government's strategy, will see federal and state authorities collaborate to purchase a wide array of firearms. This initiative is designed to encompass surplus weapons, recently prohibited categories, and those possessed illegally. The federal government and state and territory governments are jointly funding the scheme on a 50-50 basis, with hundreds of thousands of firearms anticipated to be collected and subsequently destroyed. State and territory authorities will manage the collection and payment processes, while the Australian Federal Police will oversee the destruction of the acquired weapons.
Prime Minister Albanese underscored the necessity of such a scheme, stating, "If you're going to reduce the number of guns, then a buyback scheme has to be a piece of that puzzle." He highlighted the disturbing revelation that one of the attackers held a valid firearm license and possessed six guns, despite residing in a suburban area of Sydney. "There's no reason why someone in that situation needed that many guns," Albanese remarked, emphasizing the perceived superfluity of such arsenals in civilian hands. This sentiment echoes the national mood, with concerns mounting that Australia now possesses a greater number of firearms than at the time of the 1996 Port Arthur massacre, a pivotal event that previously led to significant gun law reforms.
Beyond firearms, the government is also taking aim at the proliferation of hate speech. New legislation will be introduced to penalise individuals who disseminate divisive messages and promote radicalisation. Notably, the Minister for Home Affairs will be empowered to revoke or deny visas to those found to be engaging in such activities. Furthermore, a dedicated taskforce will be established to specifically address antisemitism within the education system, a move welcomed by prominent Jewish community organisations such as the Executive Council of Australian Jewry and the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies. The proposed laws will also introduce penalties for religious leaders and preachers who advocate for violence, and create a new federal offence of "aggravated hate speech," with "hate" to be considered an aggravating factor in sentencing for online threats and harassment.
The Bondi Beach attack, which saw 40-year-old Naveed Akram charged with 59 offences, including 15 counts of murder and one of committing a terrorist act, has underscored the urgent need for robust preventative measures. Akram's father, Sajid Akram, was among those tragically killed during the incident. The government's dual strategy aims to create a safer Australia by mitigating the risk of mass casualty events and fostering a more inclusive society, free from the corrosive influence of hate and extremism. The efficacy of these measures in deterring future violence and addressing the complex interplay of gun ownership and radicalisation will undoubtedly be a subject of intense scrutiny in the months and years to come.