Trigger pulled on gun buyback as laws pass parliament
Tighter firearms restrictions have been legislated in response to the Bondi terror attack, but the buyback of guns faces state and territory hurdles.
The hastily drafted legislation, which would enable gun buybacks and strengthen background checks and firearms import rules, passed the Senate on Tuesday night with the support of the Greens.
Home Secretary Tony Burke, presenting the bill earlier in the day, said the father-son gunmen who carried out the December 14 attack had “hate in their hearts and guns in their hands”.
Mr Burke said the measures would address the method as well as the motivation for the massacre.
“The critical question I have often been asked during this debate is: how many firearms would the Bondi gunmen have if this national reform package already existed?” he said.
“The answer is zero.”
He said that according to the reforms, the father would not be eligible because he was not an Australian citizen.
“The son, who did not have a firearms licence, had in any event sought any intelligence relating to him which would have formed part of the licensing decisions,” Mr Burke said.
ASIO and ACIC intelligence assessments will be included in gun license background checks, while import rules on high-fire smoothbore rifles and shotguns will be tightened.
Gun control advocacy group Alannah and Madeline Foundation said the changes close dangerous long-standing loopholes.
But Greens Senator David Shoebridge said questions remained about how the gun buyback would be implemented.
“We want a commitment from the government that fair value will be paid to ensure the buyback of guns is as effective as possible,” he said.
Liberal governments in the Northern Territory and Tasmania have refused to agree to share buyback costs, which would encourage gun owners to surrender their firearms in exchange for payment.
The Queensland LNP government also refused to participate in the plan.
The Western Australian Labor government, which has seized more than 83,000 firearms through its buyback program, has issued unsolicited advice to its NT and Queensland counterparts.
“There is a constituency in society that is opposed to this,” WA Police Minister Reece Whitby said.
“The vast majority of West Australians believe this is the right thing to do. “I believe the vast majority of Territorians and Queenslanders share that view.”
Shadow attorney general Andrew Wallace criticized the national buyback plan.
“The 1996 buyback (implemented by John Howard) was appropriately funded… this buyback calls on states and territories to pay half the bill, regardless of their ability to pay,” Mr Wallace said.
Liberals voted against the bill but the fiercest opposition came from the National Party, which said the government was “demonising” law-abiding gun owners.
Nationals leader David Littleproud described the gun law as a “cheap political diversion” from religious extremism.
He said his party supports a national gun registry and a provision allowing background checks on firearms, but said the bill goes too far.
Nationals Senator Bridget McKenzie, an avid hitman, was accompanied by several stacks of papers bearing the signatures of 65,000 people who oppose gun laws, criticizing the “dirty deal” to get the Greens over the line.
But independent Helen Haines, who represents the Victorian regional seat of Indi, backed the reforms, saying they did not target farmers, sport shooters or other law-abiding gun owners.
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