We have written many times over the years about how counter productive Australia’s gun control laws have been, particularly their 1996/97 gun confiscation. After the December, 2025 Bondi Beach massacre, only New South Wales appears likely to participate in the new confiscation.
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Anthony Albanese’s pledge to hold the biggest gun buyback since the 1996 Port Arthur Massacre is in tatters, with the central reform announced just days after the Bondi mass shooting stricken by opposition from states and territories, as well as growing angst from Labor MPs fearing a One Nation fight in the future.
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Progress on the key plank of reform has stagnated as jurisdictions follow one another in pulling out of the scheme, headlined by Victoria’s Labor government confirming they wouldn’t be involved last month.
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The Australian understands the buyback has also barely been mentioned in federal Labor’s caucus in recent months, with the rise of One Nation over the first half of 2026 triggering concerns within the party that a buyback could hurt Labor MPs in regional seats across the nation.
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The federal government also won’t start a fight by pressuring reluctant states and territories to partake in the scheme, The Australian understands, making it increasingly likely that NSW will be the only state participating.
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Key details on how the buyback will work remain unexplained almost six months after the scheme was announced, with the commonwealth and NSW government refusing to reveal basic information including how the value of surrendered weapons will be determined and whether ammunition will also be purchased. . . .
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Australian Federal Police Association president Alex Caruana said the slow rollout “was a contributing factor” to states and territories pulling out. “But the bigger factor is the legislation was put together as a knee-jerk reaction to a tragic event,” he said. . . .
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