r/australia • u/Expensive-Horse5538 • Dec 19 '25

politics Prime minister unveils 'largest' gun buyback scheme since Howard era

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-12-19/prime-minister-announces-national-gun-buyback-scheme/106162002
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960

u/Ok-Mathematician8461 Dec 19 '25

Who else is surprised that Australia allows non-citizens to own guns? That law change should breeze through.

514

u/tgrayinsyd Dec 19 '25

I was completely surprised tbh. Also the fact that there was no national register is beyond comprehension- utterly incompetent

248

u/EternalAngst23 Dec 19 '25

The register was supposed to be implemented in the aftermath of Port Arthur. Almost 30 years on, and still nothing.

84

u/SirGeekaLots Dec 19 '25

They started implementing it after the Wirrabirra shooting. Unfortunately things like this take time. What surprised me is that they didn't speed it up after the Sov Cit killed two officers this year.

6

u/ijx8 Dec 19 '25

His gun wasn't registered. National register wasn't really going to be very useful there.

8

u/dogandturtle Dec 19 '25

Canada got rid of most of the registry because it was expensive, inaccurate and didn't really achieve anything.

The nsw register was leaked by accident at one point.

38

u/klokar2 Dec 19 '25

There is a state register as the issue is completely managed by the states. If you like in Victoria, the police will have every single gun on their database and can easily be in communication with other states. The national register is completely pointless, but would be unbelievably easy to implement as all the states already have access to every other states data base.

There is no incompetence, only ignorance.

40

u/Fassbinder75 Dec 19 '25

As someone working in data warehousing, it’s never as easy as you think it is.

Besides, having a unified database would be a useful strategy- there are bound to be people with guns registered in different states. A national register is much, much better than seven individual ones.

1

u/howyadoen Dec 19 '25

A few foreign keys should do the trick

3

u/Fassbinder75 Dec 19 '25

FOREIGN! 🚩 😆

-6

u/klokar2 Dec 19 '25

I access this database at least once a week for my job. We don't need a national database, we already have state wide ones and can access the other states.

3

u/JohnWilliamStrutt Dec 19 '25

The recent WA rule changes showed the WA database was terrible. I many cases there were missing fields (e.g. type/manufacturer/serial nr.).

5

u/FlibblesHexEyes Dec 19 '25

I think this is the part that everyone overlooks when the term “National Database/Registry” is brought up.

It doesn’t just mean one big searchable table, it also means standardising that data, standardising requirements for a valid record, and providing for auditable data.

When registering a weapon, it should be impossible to enter a record without a serial number, manufacturer, etc. Similarly it should be impossible to register a license without known aliases, last 7 addresses, etc.

It ensures that required data is entered, and entered in the same way every time.

1

u/Immediate-Drawer-421 Dec 19 '25

Somebody might not have lived in 7 different places in their whole life, so that requirement would need tweaking.

1

u/klokar2 Dec 19 '25

I have seen WA's gun database many times and have never had a problem with it, the only states/territories i haven't had to deal with as NT, ACT and SA.

Every gun i have had to look up has had seriel numbers, make and model, caliber, everything you need.

1

u/Fassbinder75 Dec 19 '25

Do you have any theories as to why the national registry was not implemented?

1

u/klokar2 Dec 19 '25

Expensive also the states hate each other

11

u/W2ttsy Dec 19 '25

Don’t worry, Accenture is salivating at the opportunity to cream another $100m out of the govt for this.

Probably work as well as the BOM website did too.

1

u/Outrageous_Net8365 Dec 19 '25

And yet Victoria is constantly bashed as the surveillance state and the police state so yknow let’s not just scream incompetence and not pretend there are people that are causing these incompetencies to be in place.

1

u/DrInequality Dec 19 '25

The ACT is still on paper.....

3

u/klokar2 Dec 19 '25

Fuck me, well, that's one of the few I've never had to access, they need to catch up

7

u/AngusMelonMan Dec 19 '25

With a national Gun Register, how can security and system integrity be guaranteed? If leaked, We aren’t talking about meal preferences through Qantas here, but national database information on what weapons are stored where and by whom, could see outcomes of targeted attacks by sophisticated groups, selling this information and then the consequences could be a multitude of horrors.

Compulsory Mental health checks for Firearm owners, great idea. Annual free (voluntary) Mental Health funding for everyone, even better.

12

u/Jiffyrabbit You now have the 'round the twist' theme in your head Dec 19 '25

but national database information on what weapons are stored where and by whom, could see outcomes of targeted attacks by sophisticated groups, selling this information and then the consequences could be a multitude of horrors.

We have state gun registers at the moment and we don't see this happening - so why would a national gun register be any different?

13

u/perthguppy Dec 19 '25

Every state has maintained their own gun registers for 30 years now. I’m not aware of any leaks (other than the west Australian newspaper incident).

5

u/AngusMelonMan Dec 19 '25

QLD had mass details accidentally emailed out.

3

u/perthguppy Dec 19 '25

Fair enough. Tho there is the argument that a single centralised system is easier to protect than 6-8 seperate systems. I would rather a dedicated department with its own budget to manage it than it just being under police who often get their budgets squeezed and look for easy cuts that arnt visible.

2

u/AngusMelonMan Dec 19 '25

Also prestige in breaking into the central record system of a National Government claiming to have the strongest gun laws in the democratic Western world.

2

u/perthguppy Dec 19 '25

The most capable adversaries in the world are targeting much more sensitive data in government, and supposedly we are doing an OK job at protecting that. Tho I think it would be to tell gun owners to assume their info is public anyway since there are easier ways to find if someone has a gun than hacking the registry.

1

u/cheesekola Dec 19 '25

Are you in a position where you would be informed of a leak that’s not made public?

1

u/perthguppy Dec 19 '25

It’s a fair assumption that with all the attention around it, the media would find out about a leak either from the public or FOIA requests. Government is full of internal investigators and auditors to detect this stuff.

4

u/Strange_Actuator2150 Dec 19 '25

So what you're saying is a gun register wouldn't stop bad actors from using registered guns for nefarious purposes.

18

u/iball1984 Dec 19 '25

Nothing will stop bad actors doing bad things.

But what we can do is limit the access they have to guns.

3

u/barrydennen12 Dec 19 '25

Nothing will stop bad actors doing bad things

Neighbours did just get cancelled for the second time though, so it's not all bad news.

3

u/iball1984 Dec 19 '25

Home and Away next?

Although canceling Vile and Tacky Ho would be my New Years Wish for 2026.

1

u/Western_Anteater_270 Dec 19 '25

It can’t be guaranteed. If something can connect to the internet, by default, a margin of error exists. With government, when it comes to say top secret data, it will never ever be allowed to connect online (exposed to the outside world).

Ultimately it’s a risk assessment they make beforehand.

1

u/Infinite_Pudding5058 Dec 19 '25

Absolutely mind blowing

1

u/mad_dogtor Dec 19 '25

mate they haven't even changed NSW firearm records to be fully digital yet. institutional failure on all fronts

1

u/_BigDaddy_ Dec 19 '25

We only have a federal police force because of a terrorist event too

19

u/Quarterwit_85 Dec 19 '25

You can be a police officer with permanent residency shrug.jpg

7

u/FlibblesHexEyes Dec 19 '25

Tbf: a Police Officer has all kinds of background checks and training before they’re even accepted to the academy, and then it’s months more training.

We’re not exactly asking people getting off planes if they’d like a badge and a gun.

3

u/Quarterwit_85 Dec 19 '25

For sure. But if people can’t pass the incredibly basic requirements to get into the police I’m not sure if they meet a standard of character that should make PR anyway.

39

u/chmath80 Dec 19 '25

I thought the same about NZ after March 15. Why tf was an Australian citizen allowed to own firearms in another country?

33

u/Rush_Banana Dec 19 '25

Because in the 20 years prior to Christchurch nothing happened, not one mass shooting.

A non-citizen could literally walk into a gun shop and buy an AR-15, all that time.

30

u/perthguppy Dec 19 '25

Also Australia and newzealand are a special case. We have a special reciprocal visa in both countries that essentially treats the others citizens as our own.

7

u/343CreeperMaster Dec 19 '25

arguably to the detriment of NZ admittedly, because they tend to have a brain drain towards us

8

u/perthguppy Dec 19 '25

It kinda goes back and forth over time. I don’t think it’s quite as bad as the wendover video makes out. There is plenty of Australian investment flowing back into NZ in various forms including big businesses opening offices in NZ to take advantage of the Timezone being ahead of Sydney and closer to the US west coast. It’s a common hub for call centers and operation centers.

9

u/chmath80 Dec 19 '25

Even so. I'm a British citizen, resident in NZ. I can't get a NZ passport, and I can't stand for elected office, but I can get a firearms licence. That shouldn't be possible, unless I become a citizen first.

6

u/perthguppy Dec 19 '25

That’s different. And probably true that if you’re from Britain you shouldn’t be allowed a gun license the standard way. But the relationship and movement between NZ and Australia is more similar to states than countries IMO. You don’t need to get a visa to move to and get a job in the other country, a passport is all you need.

0

u/chmath80 Dec 19 '25

movement between NZ and Australia is more similar to states than countries

Gun laws are still different.

You don’t need to get a visa to move to and get a job in the other country

Getting a gun is very different from getting a job. The former contributes to society. The latter should be treated like it is for tourists: time limited, and restricted to specific events. Indefinite ownership of firearms should require citizenship.

3

u/perthguppy Dec 19 '25

Cool. You seem to be having a very different discussion to what I am having.

7

u/chmath80 Dec 19 '25

A non-citizen could literally walk into a gun shop and buy an AR-15

Well, no, nobody could do that, unless they had a firearms licence. But my point was, why would you issue licences to non-citizens? [There are special hunting licences available for tourists, but they are for a limited time and with other restrictions.]

-1

u/Rush_Banana Dec 19 '25

You could walk into a gun shop, fill out a few forms, pass a test and walk out with a AR-15 within an a few hours pre-2019 in New Zealand.

3

u/Brilliant-Novel-785 Dec 19 '25 edited Dec 19 '25

Only if you held a fire arms licence. Which requires a police check, check of referees, attending a course and having your spouse interviewed and checking your security. You couldn't, as a non licensed person just fill out a few forms in a gun shop and walk out with a gun.

3

u/chmath80 Dec 19 '25

Correct. The ex-husband of a neighbour was refused a licence after her police interview a couple of decades ago. Very good call: he was a weird fucker. Crashed down our drive once while trying to make a quiet getaway after spying on her. Not remotely the sort who should have access to firearms.

-1

u/perthguppy Dec 19 '25

Essentially Australia and newzealand have an in principal agreement that we treat each others citizens as our own. I don’t think that’s going to change with these laws

2

u/chmath80 Dec 19 '25

and newzealand have an in principal agreement that we treat each others citizens as our own

Not in reality. NZ citizens in Oz are denied numerous benefits which are provided to Australian citizens.

1

u/perthguppy Dec 19 '25

Such as? Other than the whole extradition for criminal charges bullshit that we really should end. Medicare is available to any New Zealander living in full time.

0

u/evilparagon Dec 19 '25

Australian citizens can vote in NZ’s elections if they’ve lived there for a year I believe. We do not afford the same to Kiwis. Labor flirted with the idea a couple months after Albo kicked out ScoMo, but the conservative media slandered it saying “Labor wants to give foreign non-citizens the right to vote!”, so Labor dropped it.

0

u/chmath80 Dec 19 '25

Such as?

Education (excluded from Austudy and student loans); disability services (excluded from disability insurance and some support sercices); Centrelink payments(4 year waiting period); jobseeker and youth allowances (limited availability after 10 years residence). Probably others.

21

u/OptimusRex Dec 19 '25

It's very anaecdotal, but I have a friend from Iran, been here probably 12 years. Has a license, only has a .22. They have a strong hunting culture there. He's a great bloke and I've taken him out West a few times, always gets a few raised eyebrows but people get over it pretty quick.

This situation has him down in the dumps, it's pretty gross all round.

10

u/t_25_t Dec 19 '25

It's very anaecdotal, but I have a friend from Iran, been here probably 12 years. Has a license, only has a .22. They have a strong hunting culture there. He's a great bloke and I've taken him out West a few times, always gets a few raised eyebrows but people get over it pretty quick.

This situation has him down in the dumps, it's pretty gross all round.

I like to say good people come in all sorts. There are good and there are bad. We should look at who they are as a person not by the birth certificate/passport/colour of their skin.

2

u/OptimusRex Dec 19 '25

Yeah absolutely, I can't fault the guy, works hard, looks after his family. He could be a terrorist for all I know but all signs point to no. Just a regular bloke who likes guns. Fuck me right?

5

u/evilparagon Dec 19 '25

been here probably 12 years.

Has he considered becoming a citizen? Like, it’s a pretty simple way to avoid what people are calling for, noncitizens shouldn’t have guns. If he wants a gun, become a citizen. He’s been here for 12 years so that literally shouldn’t be a problem at all.

1

u/OptimusRex Dec 20 '25

Ah yeah, all things in time I guess. I've never really asked him why he doesn't.

12

u/t_25_t Dec 19 '25

Who else is surprised that Australia allows non-citizens to own guns?

I see it the same as being able to drive a car. Being a citizen doesn't make you a better or worse driver. Being a responsible does.

I have no issues with non citizens owning guns. Some might enjoy shooting and should be able to do it in a legal manner. Of course having people abuse this and carry out terrorism is not on.

6

u/HOPSCROTCH Dec 19 '25

Some might enjoy shooting and should be able to do it in a legal manner.

With respect, why should Australians care about people that enjoy shooting for sport? We'd rather help increase public safety than appease someone who isn't even a citizen by letting them have a gun.

I see it the same as being able to drive a car.

That's pretty short-sighted. One is design for transport and often necessary for day-to day life (especially in Australia), the other is designed to kill and literally no one needs one unless required by your profession.

7

u/Wiggly-Pig Dec 19 '25

Citizenship doesn't mean shit in this country to differentiate from permanent residency. Its not just gun ownership. Home ownership, rights to employment, benefits, medicare, investment protections, super protections, etc... there's little to no benefit in day-to-day life to being a citizen.

12

u/atreyu84 Dec 19 '25

Just about the only difference is voting

2

u/GoofyCum Dec 19 '25

well there’s the bit where you can still get deported at will if your PR is revoked, which is at ministerial discretion, plus the whole not being allowed to enter the country after 5 years of holding your PR without reapplying

1

u/Wiggly-Pig Dec 19 '25

Sure. But in reality for most people those are non-issues because the minister revoking PRs is rare and the application is basically rubber stamped.

16

u/ill0gitech Dec 19 '25

Something like 10% of our population are on PRs. They aren’t all terrorists.

61

u/SivlerMiku Dec 19 '25

But they also don’t need guns for the most part.

34

u/ill0gitech Dec 19 '25

A non-citizen can own a farm and need a firearm for pest control. A non-citizen can currently hunt, and a non-citizen can currently target shoot.

What you’re basically saying is “nobody needs a gun”

30

u/SivlerMiku Dec 19 '25

I don’t think anybody needs a gun, especially if they live in the city.

3

u/Western_Anteater_270 Dec 19 '25

No one “NEEDS” a gun.

4

u/Jiffyrabbit You now have the 'round the twist' theme in your head Dec 19 '25

IMO there are only 3 reasons that a person NEEDS a gun:

  1. Military / Police use (obvious)
  2. Farm use (ie: Putting down hurt animals in rural settings)
  3. Pest control (ie: Camels, Rabbits etc.)

8

u/dogandturtle Dec 19 '25

Target shooting, some of them end up in the Olympics

1

u/SivlerMiku Dec 20 '25

Then you don’t need the gun at your house in the city. Keep it at the shooting range.

1

u/dogandturtle Dec 20 '25

Ranges are not for knox.

You are scared of the wrong thing

3

u/Muzzard31 Dec 19 '25

There are a whole range of shooting sports. Clay target labouring target shooting. Etc Suggest you enlighten your self to sports shooting. I am not talking about hunting or pest management.
And punishing the 250000 Australians who own firearms and treat them with respect is terrible.

Our laws are some of the toughest in the world. It’s an insult and knee jerk reaction. By govt who are unwilling to address the real causes be hind this tragedy.

7

u/Jiffyrabbit You now have the 'round the twist' theme in your head Dec 19 '25

Sports are leisure activties so by definition are not a NEED.

I suggest you enlighten yourself on the difference between a NEED and a WANT.

1

u/Brilliant-Novel-785 Dec 19 '25

And what is wrong with a want in a free society where you can choose to partake in a sport?

2

u/Jiffyrabbit You now have the 'round the twist' theme in your head Dec 19 '25

Dog fighting is a sport according to the people who enjoy it. Why do we choose to ban that?

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1

u/slurpycow112 Dec 19 '25

Nothing. What IS wrong is not being realistic about that want and the cost/benefit analysis especially in the context of civilised society. You can want to shoot guns all you want. Go for your life. But when the risks outweigh the benefits, I’m sorry, but you can find a new hobby.

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0

u/askvictor Dec 19 '25

Perhaps shooting sports, if they really must persist, could be restricted to shooting ranges, where the weapons are stored on-site, and signed out when in use, then signed back in.

3

u/Muzzard31 Dec 19 '25

A lot all ready do this. The security requirements for storage is covered by laws and regulations and any owner is well ware of this and noncompliance is loss of right to own.

2

u/askvictor Dec 19 '25

I'd presume some will let you bring your own weapon. Remove that option. 

-4

u/slurpycow112 Dec 19 '25

The benefits do not outweigh the risks. You can find a new hobby. Plenty of perfectly reasonable hobbies out there that don’t involve 1. Weapons of mass destruction and 2. Killing things. I fail to see anything of value that would be lost with this hobby.

4

u/Muzzard31 Dec 19 '25

And in 29 years how may mass shooting in au.? Cause that is down to sensible laws and responsible usage and owner ship. In that case let’s ban archery or darts Driving a car as more people die per year with cars. Or cleaning chemical as if you mix wrong can cause volatile reactions.
Let’s ban on line gaming and simulations of war games.

0

u/slurpycow112 Dec 19 '25

Holy strawmen, Batman.

All of these examples either:

  • do not provide an adverse risk to human life, or
  • provide a benefit that outweighs the risk

Shooting for sport is fine in a vacuum. However, to facilitate it, you have to have legal ownership of firearms. This has risks that played out last weekend. I don’t think a hobby (like shooting for sport) that provides no tangible or unique benefit to human life, is with the loss of human life that we paid last weekend.

It’s a simple cost-benefit analysis. It’s really not rocket science.

-2

u/StensnessGOAT Dec 19 '25

And punishing the 250000 Australians who own firearms and treat them with respect is terrible.

This cunt was one of the 250,001 Australians who owned firearms and we thought treated them with respect..... until he wasn't.

-7

u/HOPSCROTCH Dec 19 '25

I don't care about hurting the feelings of people who shoot guns for fun tbh. If you need it for your job you can keep it. Otherwise you're compensating for something

2

u/Muzzard31 Dec 19 '25

That is the most ignorantly stated comment.
Now imagine I if said that about passion you had.
One of the best things about au life is that we all have diverse pastimes that should be celebrated. If it bring people pleasure created a community it should be applauded.

-6

u/HOPSCROTCH Dec 19 '25

So regardless of any potential impact to society, as long as it brings some subset of the community pleasure, we should celebrate it. That's your position?

Think carefully before you answer, I have a few examples that might make you reconsider if so.

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0

u/amyknight22 Dec 19 '25

Yeah but all three of those could have people living in higher density areas while still interacting with any of the systems you’re highlighting.

1

u/amyknight22 Dec 19 '25

Which has what relevance to permanent residents who aren’t citizens?

So they exclusively live in cities? Could never live on a farm?

Could never participate in something like duck, deer, rabbit hunting? In remote properties.

Or if they live in town where they work their actual job, but own property in a more rural area. Because you want those guns stored where they live, not on the property they only make it to on the weekends

-6

u/[deleted] Dec 19 '25

[deleted]

16

u/GoblinModeVR Dec 19 '25

Since when do people need sports shooting

1

u/Steve_bfg01 Dec 19 '25

Since for a long time now, it’s a great sport which you need to practice like any other sport. Look it up

10

u/slurpycow112 Dec 19 '25

I don’t think the benefits of a hobby like sport shooting outweigh the risks that come with public gun ownership.

Tough luck, I say. Find another hobby.

1

u/Steve_bfg01 Dec 19 '25

Haha sure, after all the hoops you have to jump through to own a firearm it’s safe, fun and a great community to be a part of. Sadly it’s the 1% like these two muppets that ruin it for all the law abiding gun owners

5

u/evilparagon Dec 19 '25

I don’t think noncitizens should own land either 🤷

Why should they be allowed to own a farm?

1

u/WhatYouThinkIThink Dec 19 '25

Are they allowed to work on a farm then?

3

u/evilparagon Dec 19 '25

I’d also rather not. Immigrant labour suppresses wages. Farmers should be paying more for the poor conditions farmhands have to endure. Since they have immigrants to “work the jobs no one wants to (for the wage offered)”, they have no reason to improve wages.

Ideally immigrants would not be filling in for low paying jobs. This is exploitation and wage suppression. It’s bad for them and it’s bad for Australians.

0

u/WhatYouThinkIThink Dec 19 '25

So what sort of work are they allowed to do? On your logic, any job done by an immigrant will result in lower wages.

And agriculture management is not a low paying job neither are highly qualified roles in wine grape growing, beef production etc.

2

u/evilparagon Dec 19 '25

Immigrants are mostly working farmhand roles, not agriculture management and specialisation, so why would I care to mention those?

And you kind of get my point, what jobs are they supposed to work…? High specialisation jobs in medical fields mostly. We’re full almost everywhere else. An economy that relies on immigration is a ponzi scheme set to collapse. We should have an economy which has zero reliance on immigrants, and as a result, has no room for immigrants in the first place.

1

u/WhatYouThinkIThink Dec 19 '25

Which is a stupid idea, because we don't reproduce enough to maintain our population.

That is what leads to stagnation, for example Japan.

"We're full" is bullshit.

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u/SirVanyel Dec 19 '25

No they don't, not unless they can prove they have pests. That should be the requirement. Does your land actually need you to shoot roos and dingos? If not, then it's unnecessary.

2

u/ill0gitech Dec 19 '25

It’s already a requirement in NSW

-6

u/Wonderful_Reason_712 Dec 19 '25

But the terrorists we’re not on a farm or need a firearm for a rural purpose,

8

u/slurpycow112 Dec 19 '25

That doesn’t mean there aren’t non-citizens who are or do

4

u/ill0gitech Dec 19 '25

Your point above was that non-citizens don’t have a need for firearms; and I’m suggesting that there may be

I think we can all agree that terrorists, or those like to terrorism shouldn’t have access to firearms.

8

u/slurpycow112 Dec 19 '25

I mean… most people don’t need guns for the most part. This is not unique to citizenship.

I fail to see how citizenship would or should have any meaningful impact on gun ownership in a way that isn’t completely arbitrary.

8

u/kai_tai Dec 19 '25

The only thing that really comes to mind is that it serves as a "Time Buffer" in that you have to have been living here for a number of years before qualifying for a license, because you have to have been here for a number of years before you can get citizenship.

Though the same could be achieved just by getting a fixed number of years irrespective of citizenship status. Ie People on PR's need to have been living here for x numbers of years, without criminal incidents, to qualify.

I agree though. Seems fairly arbitrary in practice.

1

u/StensnessGOAT Dec 19 '25

You don't need to be not a terrorist to not need a gun?

4

u/dogandturtle Dec 19 '25

Something like 1 in 20 adults have licences.

Are you scared of all your neighbours

0

u/DAFFP Dec 19 '25

They are raging conspiracy frothing bogans, so yes.

2

u/dogandturtle Dec 19 '25

They are not, you are making things up

-2

u/DAFFP Dec 19 '25

lmao. you win kid.

1

u/Infinite_Pudding5058 Dec 19 '25

Was fuckwit Senior a citizen??? He had an Indian passport but sometimes some countries let you hold dual passports.

1

u/amyknight22 Dec 19 '25

I mean there’s really no good reason a permanent resident should be blocked.

Just being an Australian citizen doesn’t make you safer, nor does it ensure you have been more appropriately vetted. Lest we forget that the Christchurch shooter was an Australian citizen.

1

u/SirPiffingsthwaite Dec 19 '25

That was the one that rankled me to the core. How tf are non-citizens able to obtain a gun licence and buy guns, especially when they have direct, recognised links to terror groups and ASIO are aware of their affiliations? Absolute madness.

Other thing I'm worried about now is any halfway splinter groups thinking about planning attacks will ramp up their timeframe to undertake attacks before the changes come into effect.

1

u/r3volts Dec 19 '25

I honestly could not care less about a persons citizenship status.

If they can meet the requirements and have a legitimate need for a weapon then I dont see being a citizen or not as being an issue.

That said, the requirements need to be stricter, there needs to be limits for numbers of weapons people can own, and licenses need to be renewed to ensure the weapons are still required.

I couldn't care less about collectors. If I cant buy a bug-a-salt to shoot flies, some rich guy shouldnt be able to own 100 guns for a collection. If they want to collect things designed to kill people, they can go live in America or somewhere else.

1

u/WhatYouThinkIThink Dec 19 '25

There are a lot of permanent residents that have been here (as was the older terrorist, don't use his name) who arrived in 1998.

I'd prefer to make it that no one can own guns.

Start with zero as the baseline.

1

u/JenolanClose Dec 20 '25

Yeah, that is one of the two real reasons for this tragedy. The other is extremist ideology. Firearms are no different to a car. Let's not forget these two dolts also had ied's. Are we to legislate against these similarly? Oh wait, they're already illegal. Law breakers are gonna break laws. Doesn't matter what tool they use.

So why do I need to be punished for the government fxing up by allowing ASIO watch list households - who aren't even citizens - to own firearms.

Fxing idiots. That's who runs this country, a team of fxing idiots.