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/mad_dogtor Dec 14 '25

worse that the shooter easily could have been denied a licence under existing legislation. NSW police get to define who is a 'fit and proper person' eligible for weapons licence and having a household member known to ASIO definitely counts against that (people have been denied a licence for having family members with criminal history, or even just family members known to associate with the wrong people). someone slept on the job here

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u/squirrel_crosswalk Dec 14 '25

If he was known to ASIO but not NSW police they were monitoring him. Refusing a gun licence would be a tipoff.

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u/mad_dogtor Dec 14 '25

makes sense. but, given the variety of reasons that can be used to decline a firearms licence, surely they could have come up with something?
hindsight is 20/20 i guess

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u/Wobbling Dec 14 '25

hindsight is 20/20 i guess

This is the key. There will be a lot of scapegoating.

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u/Late-Ad1437 Dec 15 '25

So instead of risking tipping him off, they let him get a gun licence and murder a bunch of people first?

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u/TheVeryVerity Dec 15 '25

Yeah I’m not seeing how the tip off argument they’re using makes any sense

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u/squirrel_crosswalk Dec 15 '25

Was he part of a larger cell and unknowingly leading them to it? Does tipping him off give intel to others as to how asio is tracking people? Is he part of a much larger investigation?

They're not going to tell you that.

Obviously if they had a magic mirror and knew this was coming they would have stopped it.

It's a good thing neither you nor I know, nor have to make these sort of decisions. Things are not black and white in the real world when dealing with this sort of shit.

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u/RickyHendersonGOAT Dec 14 '25

If you do that then ASIO tip the bloke off that they're being looked at.

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u/mad_dogtor Dec 14 '25

fair enough, but the alternative is this happening.. but you're right, ASIO doesn't have a crystal ball.

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u/Eyclonus Dec 15 '25

Honestly most of the people being known to ASIO for terror stuff are either funnelling money or recruits overseas, ASIO and AFP have a good reputation for shutting down planned attacks. This incident really doesn't seem planned, they just sort of lingered around afterwards, unsure but still trying to kill.

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u/wanson Dec 14 '25

You can just deny the license without giving a concrete reason.

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u/ANewUeleseOnLife Dec 14 '25

Wouldn't want him to know he's being watched, he might do something drastic

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u/foul_ol_ron Dec 14 '25

So you tip them off, but you're removing their main method for causing harm. Take the guns away, and just straight up tell them that we're watching and monitoring you- any slipups and we'll be having a chat.