Australia’s most populous state on Wednesday passed new gun and anti-terror rules following the mass shooting on Bondi Beach, tightening firearm ownership, banning public display of terror symbols, and strengthening police powers to curb protests.
The New South Wales state parliament passed the Terrorism and Other Legislation Amendment Bill early in the morning after the upper house approved the bill by 18 votes to eight during an emergency sitting.
Premier Chris Minns said not all of New South Wales’s residents would support tough reforms, but that his government was doing everything possible to keep people safe, in the wake of the December 14 shooting at a Jewish Hanukkah celebration, which killed 15 people and wounded dozens.
Premier Says Sydney Changed Forever After Attack
The bill received the green light from the lower house on Tuesday with a vote in favour from the centre-left Labour party, which is in government, and the opposition Liberal party. The National Party, which is a party for the country areas and the coalition partner of the Liberals at the junior level, was against the gun reforms saying that the limits on the ownership of guns would be the cause of farmers being unreasonably disadvantaged.
The Bondi Beach gun attack, Australia’s worst in nearly three decades, has called for more extreme weapons legislation and stronger steps against antisemitism. Under the new gun laws, described by Minns as the toughest in Australia, individual licences will be capped at four, while farmers will be allowed to own as many as 10 guns. All licence holders for firearms will be obliged to join a gun club.
Police Given More Powers to Curtail Protests
Police will be given greater powers to impose restrictions on protests, for up to three months after a declared terror attack. Public displays of the flags and other symbols of banned militant organisations such as Islamic State, Hamas or Hezbollah were outlawed and offenders jailed for up to two years or fined A$22 000.
Minns said there were concerns with chants, such as “globalise the intifada”, which could normally be heard during a pro-Palestine protest, and similar other hateful statements used for vilifying and intimidating people needed to be banned.
Police believe the two alleged gunmen were inspired by the militant Sunni Muslim group Islamic State. Sajid Akram, 50, was shot dead by police, while his 24-year-old son Naveed has been charged with 59 offences, including murder and terrorism. Activist groups have condemned the law and signalled plans for a constitutional challenge.
In a statement, the Palestine Action Group, Jews Against the Occupation and the First Nations-led Black Caucus said it would lodge a legal challenge against what they described as “draconian anti-protest laws” rushed through the state parliament.
Feds Also Plan Hate Speech Laws
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, too, has promised to crack down on hate speech: his centre-left federal government plans legislation to make prosecution against the promoters of hatred and violence easier, and also to cancel or deny visas to people involved in hate speech. Albanese also proposed a plan for buying back guns.
Facing criticism that his government has not done enough to curb antisemitism, Albanese said he spoke to Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Tuesday and invited him to make an official visit to Australia as soon as possible.
The new laws represent some of the most significant changes to gun ownership and protest rules seen in New South Wales in many years. The four-gun cap for individuals is a sharp reduction from the previous system, in which there was no limit on ownership.
Membership in a gun club helps to ensure that all people holding a firearms licence are actively involved in shooting activities and accountable under the control of the clubs. Critics say this adds an unnecessary burden on legitimate gun owners. The increased police powers to limit protests following terrorist attacks are of particular concern to civil liberties groups, who say the three-month restriction period is too long and gives police too much latitude.
Banning the display of Islamic State, Hamas and Hezbollah symbols targets groups already designated in Australia as terrorist organisations. But activists worry the ban could be applied too broadly at protests. This opposition from the National Party reflects tensions between city and rural areas. Farmers’ need to control pests and protect livestock, sometimes over vast properties, is one reason given as to why they need more guns.
This is reflected in the fact that an emergency sitting of parliament was held to rush through the laws, illustrating the extent of the political pressure the government was under to act quickly after the Bondi attack. Both major parties supported the measures despite concerns about civil liberties.
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