• Prime Minister Anthony Albanese proposes to strengthen Australia’s gun laws following a deadly shooting in Sydney.
• The proposed reforms include restricting gun licenses to Australian citizens and limiting the number of firearms per individual.
• The Bondi Beach shooting resulted in 15 fatalities, leading to renewed debates on the effectiveness of current gun laws.

Following a tragic mass shooting at Bondi Beach, Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced a significant revision of the country's already strict gun control laws. The attack, characterized as a "terrorist incident" which resulted in 15 deaths, triggered a meeting of Australia's National Cabinet, where leaders agreed on "strong, decisive and focused action" to improve firearms regulations. Measures being discussed include stringent licensing requirements and limits on firearm ownership, as the incident raised alarms about existing regulatory blind spots, according to aa and India Times.

The proposed reforms may mandate that only Australian citizens can hold gun licenses, directly aiming to close loopholes exploited by gun owners like the perpetrator in the Bondi attack, who had lived in Australia on a series of different visas. Additionally, officials aim to introduce better oversight on firearm ownership and utilization of criminal intelligence in licensing decisions. This comes at a time when, despite Australia’s stringent gun laws established after the 1996 Port Arthur massacre, firearm ownership numbers have surged by 25% since then, which poses new challenges for public safety, reports NPR and Channel News Asia.

Amid this ongoing tragedy, the Australian government not only aims to limit gun licenses but is also pushing for a national firearms register—an initiative that has faced delays for many years. Experts have commented on how the Bondi shooting reveals weaknesses in Australia’s firearms policy, with analysts highlighting that more restrictions are needed to enforce safety effectively. With calls for more unified regulations and oversight across state borders, the National Cabinet's proposed changes seek to address these concerns, according to Channel News Asia and India Times.

In addition, Albanese's administration emphasized the necessity for ongoing reviews of gun licensing, signaling a proactive stance against the potential for radicalization among gun owners. He stated, “Licenses shouldn’t be in perpetuity,” reflecting a significant shift towards more dynamic assessment methods in gun ownership, which advocates argue is essential for maintaining public safety in a changing societal landscape. This sentiment is echoed by experts who claim that public appetite for stricter gun laws remains high, as surveys show a vast majority of Australians favor strengthened regulations following the Bondi Beach attack, according to NPR and India Times.