Sydney, December 15 — Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Monday he will raise tougher firearms measures at a National Cabinet meeting following the antisemitic terror attack at Bondi Beach.
Speaking to reporters ahead of the 4 p.m. meeting, Albanese said the agenda will include stricter limits on the number of firearms an individual may hold and periodic licence reviews. He argued licences should not be perpetual, noting that “people’s circumstances change” and some can be radicalised over time.
The federal government will also put forward a proposal to strengthen monitoring and give agencies greater powers to examine what can be done to better assess licence holders, Albanese said.
Albanese convened National Cabinet in response to what he described as an act of terror and antisemitism in Bondi. In a post on X he said the government stands with Jewish Australians and against hatred and violence, adding that Australia is stronger than those who try to divide the community.
The attack targeted members of the Jewish community who had gathered for Hanukkah at Bondi Beach, and authorities have classified the incident as a terrorist act. New South Wales Health reported 27 people remain hospitalised across Sydney following the mass shooting.
Investigators say the assault was carried out by a father-and-son duo. Police shot and killed the father at the scene; the 24-year-old son is being treated in hospital. Officials said the son, born in Australia, had previously been assessed by the domestic intelligence agency ASIO, which at the time found no indication he posed a threat of violence. The father, who arrived in Australia in 1998, held a recreational hunting licence and was a member of a gun club.
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns vowed an “overwhelming” response as security was heightened nationwide.
Australia already enforces some of the world’s strictest gun laws, introduced nearly three decades ago after a mass shooting in Tasmania that killed 35 people and prompted sweeping reform. Official figures from the Australian Institute of Criminology show 31 gun-related murders were recorded between July 2023 and June 2024, a rate of 0.09 per 100,000 people.
(This report is based on syndicated material and was published as received. The Tribune assumes no responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of the original feed.)
