Allan government rejects police-backed proposal to cap firearm ownership

Victoria Police supported a proposal to limit the number of firearms a gun license holder could legally possess before the Allan government rejected it; This move led to accusations that he was putting politics ahead of public safety.

The state’s top Jewish body has called on the government to fully implement all recommendations contained in former police chief Ken Lay’s review of gun ownership laws ordered after the Bondi terror attack on a Jewish festival last year.

Victoria Police has backed Ken Lay’s proposal to limit the number of guns a person can own.Jesinta Burton

The Allan government said on Monday it would implement 15 recommendations from Lay’s review of firearms laws, but its call for a limit of four guns per person, with an exemption for up to 10 firearms if applicants can demonstrate a “compelling need”, will not be implemented.

NSW announced a four-gun possession limit in December. The ACT has announced a five-gun limit based on Western Australia’s laws that apply in 2024.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Jacinta Allan claimed the ownership cap was unnecessary, in a blow to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s national gun buyback plan.

But the Lay review finds Victoria Police supports the ownership cap, citing the security benefits of removing firearms from circulation and the fact that most gun owners own only a small number of firearms.

Police told the Lay review that the ownership limit would reduce the number of firearms in circulation and limit opportunities for “theft or misuse in a single incident”.

The report said Victoria Police acknowledged there was a risk that compliant license holders would start purchasing illegal firearms to get around the limit. However, it was stated that the cap would ease pressure on the regulatory system and allow licensees wishing to purchase larger numbers of weapons to be scrutinized more closely, such as assessing storage arrangements.

The police force has suggested Victoria adopt NSW’s model of four firearm limits and backed exemptions for those who can demonstrate a genuine reason for owning more firearms, such as farmers and competitive use.

Although the Allan government rejected Lay’s initial recommendation, it accepted all other recommendations, including restricting gun ownership to Australian citizens and permanent resident New Zealand citizens.

Updated firearm categories will also be considered to ensure appropriate classification of high-risk weapons, health assessments will be introduced as part of the license application and renewal process, and mandatory screening for unlicensed persons at shooting ranges will be introduced.

Allan said Tuesday he didn’t think ownership limits were necessary and that efforts should focus on preventing criminals from obtaining firearms.

“The vast majority of firearm owners are responsible and they take those responsibilities very seriously indeed,” he said. “We already have very strict and strong firearms laws in Victoria. The statements we made yesterday are about strengthening that framework even further.”

Asked about the application on Tuesday, a Victoria Police spokesman said it would work with the government “on implementing the accepted review recommendations”.

The Alannah & Madeline Foundation, named after Alannah and Madeline Mikac, who were killed along with their mother and 32 others in the Port Arthur massacre in 1996, welcomed the reforms but said rejecting the gun ownership cap was a missed opportunity to protect Victorians.

Chief executive Sarah Davies said: “It is deeply concerning that political considerations in an election year have taken precedence over what is needed to protect public safety.”

“We strongly urge the government to reconsider its stance on caps and strengthen the obligation for licensees to demonstrate that they actually need each firearm.”

Allan’s Bendigo East electorate has one of the highest rates of licensed duck hunters of any Labor-held seat; There are 543 people with licenses in 2023; This corresponds to 1 percent of the electorate.

Jewish Community Council of Victoria chief executive Naomi Levin said the recommendations of Lay’s review should be fully implemented after 15 people were shot dead at a Hanukkah event at Bondi Beach.

“We appreciate the Victorian government’s swift action and subsequent response to the review of Victoria’s existing gun laws,” Levin said. “However, our firm view is that all necessary measures should be implemented to protect public safety.

“If Ken Lay, who is leading this review, recommends a limit of four firearms per license holder except in special circumstances, then we would urge the Victorian government to implement that recommendation.”

Lay’s review found that fewer than 20 percent of firearm users in the state would be affected by the proposed limit. Approximately 46,540 licensees currently own more than four category A and B firearms.

However, a cap could lead to the destruction of approximately 286,749 firearms in Victoria; This could reduce the total number by almost 30 percent.

Victorian Nationals leader Danny O’Brien said on Tuesday the ownership cap would not stop the Bondi attackers and there was no evidence it would make Victoria safer.

In response to Lay’s review, a Victoria Police Union spokesman said the union “largely supports the position taken by the government”.

Coroner’s Court data shows 459 people have been killed by firearms in Victoria in the decade to 2025. It was determined that most of them (342) were suicides and 104 were attacks. Triple Zero received more than 10,500 firearm-related calls during the same period, according to the report.

Start your day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.