Parliament recalled to pass hate speech, gun laws in response to Bondi attack
Independent Zali Steggall said Sydney’s Warringah community was concerned about the increasing number of guns in dense urban areas and called for a national online register of firearms owners.
“How many guns do we actually have in our communities?” he said. “In 2026 Australia still doesn’t have a national digital firearms register. Instead we rely on a paper-based system. So that’s ridiculous.”
“It’s outdated, ineffective and frankly incredibly unacceptable. Without a proper digital system, at a time of rising social tensions, rising online radicalisation, a domestic violence crisis, we really don’t know how many guns there are, where they are and who has access to them,” he said.
“This isn’t the USA, this is Australia. We really want strong gun controls. So while I support this legislation, I’m calling on the government to go further and ensure background checks accurately assess the risk and safety of all Australians.”
Efforts to create a national firearms registry after the Port Arthur shooting have been delayed for decades. A national registry is planned Will start in mid-2028.
Several Coalition MPs spoke this morning rejecting gun reforms and demanding the government focus on Islamic extremism in the wake of the Bondi attack.
