Qld commits to gun ownership limits, urges focus on antisemitism
Deputy Prime Minister Jarrod Bleijie said of all the proposals made by the national cabinet in the wake of the Bondi terror attack, Queensland had so far only committed to restricting gun ownership, insisting that the biggest issue that needed to be addressed was antisemitism.
On Wednesday, Bleijie accused federal and former state Labor governments of failing to keep Jewish Australians safe, while state Labor leader Steven Miles said he was ready to work with the prime minister to change the laws urgently.
Father-son gunmen seen in attack on Jewish Hanukkah event at iconic Sydney beach on Sunday It is claimed that he killed 15 people and injured dozens of others.causing an explosion of fear and grief in the community and calling for government action.
When the police started investigating How and why the attack was carried outThe national cabinet met on Monday with the participation of all states and territories agree to work on options to strengthen gun laws.
Other proposals included limiting the maximum number of guns a person can own, limiting the types of guns that are considered legal, and making Australian citizenship a condition for holding a gun licence.
But Bleijie told reporters in Brisbane on Wednesday that Queensland had only “signed off” on changing ownership boundaries so far.
“But now we’re calmly reviewing these reforms and what those reforms look like in each jurisdiction. There are different gun laws that apply in each jurisdiction,” Bleijie said.
“Yes, there should be government reform, but as people including former prime minister John Howard“Let’s not let gun reform be the be-all and end-all of the bigger problem here… that is, rising antisemitism in Australia and the fact that we have a federal government and a former Labor state government that has allowed this to happen,” he said yesterday.
Bleijie did not say how many guns a single person would be allowed to own under the new limits or when it would be legalized. A recent investigation also recommended new laws to require mental health checks for gun owners.
Queensland has already supported the National Firearms Register.
NSW Premier Chris Minns Recall parliament next week to pass reforms He told me to give it to the state Strictest gun laws in the country One of the hitmen, Sajid Akram, 50, was revealed to have a NSW gun license for the six firearms he and his son Naveed allegedly used in the attack.
Minns is also considering banning protests during the state’s terrorism watch and said the five-gun limit in Western Australia was too high. NSW state’s Liberal opposition has pledged to work with Minns but has also warned gun laws are a distraction.
Queensland Premier David Crisafulli said on Tuesday his government was considering further reforms to combat antisemitism, without providing details.
On Wednesday Bleijie said he was unaware of the NSW plans and would remain undecided on whether the Crisafulli government would recall state parliament ahead of a planned return in mid-February.
Speaking just an hour after Bleijie, state Opposition Leader Steven Miles said in his first media conference since the attack that his team’s hearts were with the Jewish community.
“We are also prepared to work with the Crisafulli government on sensible reforms to ensure something like this never happens again,” Miles said, referring to the recall of the NSW parliament.
“If David Crisafulli were a leader like John Howard, he would act quickly now and respond to these calls to take dangerous weapons out of the hands of extremists and implement these reforms.”
Miles said such changes should include recommendations from national cabinet, recommendations introduced in NSW and calls from the Wieambilla inquiry, adding that governments could and should address both gun laws and antisemitism.
“I don’t think politicians should be blaming each other instead of acting in ways that we know will help,” he said.
In a statement on Wednesday, Queensland’s leading farmers’ body AgForce said any changes to gun laws should focus on preventing violent criminal activity rather than burdening law-abiding gun owners who rely on them to make a living.
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Matt Dennien is a reporter for the Brisbane Times covering state politics and public services. He previously worked for newspapers in Tasmania and Brisbane community radio station 4ZZZ. Contact him securely on Signal @mattdennien.15Connect via email.
