Australia’s leaders agreed Monday to toughen gun laws after the country’s deadliest mass shooting in nearly three decades, in which a father and son opened fire at a Jewish festival at Bondi Beach, killing 15 people, including a child.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese convened an urgent meeting of the national cabinet on Monday, where state premiers and territory leaders unanimously agreed to strengthen rules governing gun ownership in response to what authorities described as a terror attack.
Among the measures under consideration are accelerating the rollout of a long-delayed national firearms register, limiting the number of guns an individual can own and further restricting the types of weapons that are legal. Leaders also agreed to explore making Australian citizenship a formal condition for obtaining a firearm licence.
A statement released after the meeting said police ministers and attorneys-general across the states and territories have been tasked with examining the proposals, including expanded use of criminal intelligence to better support firearms licensing decisions.
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns and Western Australian Premier Roger Cook will lead and coordinate the work across jurisdictions.
The federal government will also begin work on possible customs restrictions on gun imports, including controls on 3D-printed firearms, emerging weapons technologies and equipment capable of holding large volumes of ammunition.
Sunday’s attack occurred when a father and son opened fire on members of Australia’s Jewish community gathered at Bondi Beach in Sydney to mark the first day of Hanukkah. A 10-year-old girl was among those killed.
One of the gunmen, identified as Sajid Akram, was shot dead at the scene. His son, Naveed Akram, survived and is being treated in hospital under police guard as investigations continue.
