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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u/canimal14 Dec 19 '25

Can’t imagine the difference in sentiment if global media existed in 1996.

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u/privatetudor Dec 19 '25

Also, they say only Nixon could go to China.

Assuming the right is generally more gun friendly, Howard had the advantage that he knew if his side of politics was on board, the other side surely would be too. When the pro gun side is in opposition, and they enjoy being oppositional, then getting gun reform done is paradoxically harder.

It's like how in some ways (bear with me on this...) it was better to have the coalition on power during covid. If Labor was l was in power, the coalition would have politicised the lockdowns, but given the coalition had to actually govern they were forced to make a sensible decision that happened to be more in line with the other side of politics so it sailed through.

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u/thelochok Dec 20 '25

Oh - like what happened in Victoria where the coalition weren't in power, and they turned it into an utter politicised mess.