Australian Capital Territory to implement gun buyback program

AI-summarized · Neutrality-checked

The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) announced it would implement a gun buyback program following a directive from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to prevent further occurrences of incidents like the December 14 shooting at a Bondi Beach Hanukkah celebration. The Bondi attack resulted in 15 deaths and was perpetrated by two gunmen who used legally obtained firearms and were allegedly inspired by Islamic State. The ACT, which contains 23,000 guns and over 7,000 license holders, joined New South Wales in adopting the national government's January mandate for tighter licensing and weapons reduction. This effort follows a national trend toward increasing firearm regulation, similar to the buyback initiatives conducted after the 1996 Port Arthur massacre.

Consequences

The ACT will begin the process of reducing the 23,000 firearms currently registered in the territory as it joins the broader national buyback effort. This legislative shift aims to limit the availability of powerful firearms, which the government identified as a key factor in the Bondi Beach attack.

Sources

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