In a decisive legislative response to the devastating Bondi Beach shooting that claimed 15 lives, Australia’s parliament has unanimously approved comprehensive reforms targeting hate crimes and firearm regulations. Both parliamentary chambers endorsed the twin security packages on Tuesday, addressing critical vulnerabilities exposed during the December 14th attack on a Jewish Hanukkah celebration.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese framed the legislative action as addressing dual threats: ‘The terrorists had hate in their hearts, but they also had high-powered rifles in their hands. We’re taking action on both—tackling antisemitism, tackling hate, and getting dangerous guns off our streets.’
The hate crime legislation establishes enhanced penalties for individuals promoting radicalization and violence, particularly targeting religious leaders and adults who radicalize minors. It introduces a formal framework for designating prohibited hate organizations and strengthens immigration authorities’ power to deny or revoke visas based on terrorism suspicions or hate speech advocacy.
Concurrently, firearm reforms initiate a national gun buyback program, tighten import restrictions, and expand background checks to include intelligence agency input. This comes amid record firearm ownership levels, with official estimates indicating 4.1 million guns currently in circulation—surpassing numbers recorded during the 1996 Port Arthur massacre that previously triggered Australia’s landmark gun control measures.
Despite broad parliamentary support, the Australian Greens party expressed reservations about potential unintended consequences for free expression. Senator Larissa Waters advocated expanding hate speech protections to include sexual orientation and disability-based targeting.
The legislative passage precedes Thursday’s national day of mourning for the victims. Meanwhile, investigations continue regarding the perpetrators—50-year-old Sajid Akram, who was killed by police during the attack, and his 24-year-old son Naveed, now facing terrorism and murder charges. Security agencies face scrutiny after revelations that Naveed had been flagged by intelligence services in 2019 but was deemed not an imminent threat.