Premier faces backlash over gun reform, protest limits
Stronger gun laws, crackdowns on protests and tightened restrictions on hate speech will be examined as the NSW government continues its response to the Bondi massacre.
The state legislature was urgently recalled Monday to pass legislation in multiple areas, including laws limiting gun ownership in four firearms with strict exemptions for primary manufacturers and sport shooters.
Magazine capacity for certain guns will be limited to 5 to 10 rounds, down from unlimited capacity, and some firearms, such as straight-pull and pump-action, will be reclassified, further restricting their use.
However, there is opposition to the law from various quarters; The National Party questions gun limits, while the Greens oppose further protest restrictions.
Opposition Leader Kellie Sloane said changes to gun laws had been rushed, adding that the coalition would meet before parliament on Monday to decide on the final position.
“There has been zero or very little consultation with stakeholders, particularly the opposition,” Ms Sloane told ABC TV.
NSW farmers say gun reforms are useless, saying extending license renewal periods from five to two years is ridiculous and burdensome for farmers to join a gun club that may be hours away from their property.
“This means more red tape for law-abiding farmers,” said President Xavier Martin.
But Ms Sloane supported the prime minister’s crackdown on protests through legislation banning public gatherings after he was declared a terrorist by police.
Identification will last for 14 days and can be extended for up to three months.
Civil liberties groups opposed the ban, saying it was excessive.
Labor Friends of Palestine NSW said the move restricts the right to public assembly, increases police powers and limits political expression.
“The legislative proposals, and the misinformation and rhetoric used to legitimize them, only serve to undermine the social cohesion that the prime minister claims to care so deeply about,” he said in a statement.
“Especially for those who want to show solidarity with the Palestinian people, whose just causes are recognized in our party’s platform and in international law.”
Mr. Minns accused pro-Palestinian protests of fueling anti-Semitic rhetoric and said these actions could turn violent.
“I believe that when you see violent images, hateful slogans and chants on the steps of the Opera House, in our parks or in our community, it unleashes forces that those organizing the protests cannot control,” he said in a statement Sunday.
Pro-Palestinian activists have rejected any attempt to link their protests to the Bondi attack, which left 15 dead after gunmen targeted Hanukkah celebrations.
The massacre was carried out by a father-son duo clearly motivated by the Islamic State.
