US EditionAustralian government says firearms hit a record high in 2025
Australia reported a record 4.1 million firearms in 2025 and plans a $1 billion national buyback with tighter gun ownership limits after the Bondi terror attack.
- Recalling parliament, authorities announced on Jan 17 the government would debate Bills this week to introduce a gun reform Bill following the Bondi attack.
- Dec 14, 2025's Bondi attack, which killed 15 at a Hanukkah celebration, prompted reforms as police say the alleged gunmen were inspired by the Islamic State, and Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke pledged to target high-risk individuals.
- Record figures — 4,113,735 guns nationally — reveal the Department of Home Affairs data show, including 4 in New South Wales, where laws limit private ownership.
- Splitting the reforms, the government separated gun control from hate-speech laws and proposed a $1 billion buyback with a 50:50 federal-state split, but Queensland, Northern Territory, and Tasmania refuse to share costs.
- Compared with the 1996 response, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said there are now more guns in Australia than during the Port Arthur massacre, despite Australians surrendering over half a million firearms then.
27 Articles
27 Articles
The Hamilton Spectator
Australia’s Parliament debates new anti-hate speech and gun laws after Sydney attack
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Australia’s Parliament on Tuesday began debating draft anti-hate speech and gun laws proposed after two shooters killed 15 people at a Jewish festival in Sydney last month.
Australian Lower House Passes New Bills for Gun Buyback Scheme and Anti-Semitism
Australia’s House of Representatives has quickly passed two new bills that will set up a national gun buyback scheme and another aimed at combatting anti-Semitism in response to the Bondi terror attack. Both bills will now move to the Senate, which is expected to have the support of the Greens, ensuring its final passage. In Australia’s lower house, the gun buyback bill passed 96 to 45 with the Liberal-National Coalition opposing, while the hate…
Australia's lower house approves tougher gun control after Bondi mass shooting
The bill, which was opposed by conservative lawmakers, passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 96 to 45 and will now go to the Senate. It is aimed at enabling a national gun buyback and tighten background checks for gun licences
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