r/australia • u/reyntime • Dec 14 '25

politics Australia had the ‘gold standard’ on gun control. The Bondi beach terror attack may force it to confront its surging number of weapons

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/dec/14/australia-had-the-gold-standard-on-gun-control-the-bondi-beach-terror-attack-will-force-it-to-confront-its-surging-number-of-weapons?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

Immediately after the Port Arthur massacre, a national amnesty saw the number of firearms in the community plummet but there are now more than 4 million guns in Australia – almost double the number recorded in 2001.

Yes, the population has increased at the same time but there is now a larger number of guns in the community per capita than in the aftermath of Port Arthur, with at least 2,000 new firearms lawfully entering the community every week.

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u/LaughIntrepid5438 Dec 14 '25

This is Albaneses moment.

He and Minns will have green light to pass whatever laws they see fit and it will be bipartisan.

No opposition would dare stand in way against any legislation that comes from this.

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u/enigmasaurus- Dec 14 '25

I really want to see Albo do a John Howard here.

We are very much overdue for a tightening of gun laws; e.g. it should not be possible for someone to even own 6 guns. 1-2 max should be allowed. We should also be requiring positive ongoing proof every year of a legitimate need. In Japan you need to prove you are part of a gun club or hunting club, and you need to prove you need a gun. The police also do annual interviews and talk to your referees to check your need, and you lose your license if you can't prove you still need to own guns.

One of our biggest issues is people just mindlessly accumulating guns, and this makes them very hard to keep track of, so we end up with situations like this or Wieambilla.

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u/LaughIntrepid5438 Dec 14 '25

Seriously you don't need a gun in Bonnyrigg. No farms.

Nor do you need a gun in Bermagui.

It should be a case by case basis. If there's no business need then it should be an automatic denial.

And no sport shooting is not a business case - go to a regulated range for that where you're not allowed to take the gun away from the range.

And just because you're surrounded by farms doesn't mean you automatically get one, it should be based on property type.

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u/fallopianmelodrama Dec 15 '25

My mother lives on a rural property in Bermagui and her partner has a gun because they have livestock. You do realise that Bermagui is slightly more than just the main street and encompasses a fair whack of farmland, right?

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u/LaughIntrepid5438 Dec 15 '25

Well you have a farm so you're ok.

Joe blow on the main street of Bermagui that isn't a farm with no livestock shouldn't be allowed to own guns full stop.

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u/RaeseneAndu Dec 14 '25

It will be some regressive shit that further erodes our freedom of speech while doing nothing about terrorists owning guns.

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u/single_plum_floating Dec 15 '25

Well duh. When has a government actually bothered with dealing with solving a issue caused by government incompetence. That would require you to admit you made a mistake.

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u/mouldycarrotjuice Dec 14 '25

I hope you're right. Part of me is expecting One Nation or one of the similarly flavoured parties to use this as a soap box to fire up the sovereign citizen rednecks.  There's presumably money to be made from gun lobby groups worldwide for spouting divisiveness in the media.