The prime minister has proposed strengthening Australia’s gun laws, including via limits on the number of firearms that can be licensed per person, a day after a deadly terror attack at Sydney’s Bondi Beach.
Fifteen people were killed — including a ten-year-old girl — when a father and son opened fire on members of Australia’s Jewish community, who were gathered at the beach to mark the first day of Hanukkah.
One of the two gunmen, Sajid Akram, was also killed, while his son Naveed Akram is being treated in hospital under police guard.
Anthony Albanese has proposed strengthening Australia’s gun laws. (AAP: Dean Lewins)
The father had been a licensed gun holder for a decade and possessed six registered firearms, which NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said were recovered from the scene.Â
Anthony Albanese said the government was “prepared to take whatever action is necessary” and that he would take a proposal for tougher gun laws to National Cabinet when national, state and territory leaders meet at 4pm today.
Read more on the Bondi Beach shooting:
He flagged potential limits on the number of firearms that can be used or licensed by individuals and reviews of gun licences over time.
“People can be radicalised over a period of time, licences should not be in perpetuity,” he told reporters in Sydney.
“I’ll take to National Cabinet this afternoon a proposal to empower agencies to examine what can be done in this area.”
Australia has some of the strictest gun laws in the world, which were introduced by the Howard government in the wake of the 1996 Port Arthur massacre, where 35 people were killed by lone gunman Martin Bryant.
The sweeping reform saw national, state and territory governments sign up to the National Firearms Agreement, which restricted automatic, semi-automatic and pump action rifles, as well as shotguns.
It also ushered in stricter requirements for the registration and storage of firearms.
Community members have left tributes for the 15 people killed in the attack on Sunday. (ABC News: Jak Rowland)
Mr Albanese acknowledged that those laws had made an “enormous difference in Australia” and that it was a “proud moment of reform”.
“If we need to tougher these up, if there’s anything that we can do, I’m certainly up for it,” he said.
“And I hope to get National Cabinet on board for that this afternoon as well.”
Sussan Ley accuses Albanese of failing to keep Jewish Australians safe
NSW Premier Chris Minns has also flagged potential changes to gun laws and said the state parliament could be recalled to pass reform if necessary.
“We need to make sure the firearms legislation in New South Wales is fit for purpose. That does mean restricting firearms for the general public, for the people of New South Wales,” he said.
“But not everybody needs these weapons of mass destruction. You don’t need them on New South Wales streets. So we’ll be looking at change.”
But he said it would take time to draft legislation so it could be done “in a way that will make a difference”.Â
Commissioner Lanyon said there had been “no incidents” in regards to the elder gunmen’s firearm licence and that “it was regulated”.
“There was little knowledge of either of these men by the authorities,” he said.
The ABC understands the younger shooter had been examined by ASIO six years ago over his close ties to a Sydney-based Islamic State (IS) terrorism cell.
Funeral visas to be fast-tracked
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has announced that the federal government has set up a team to fast-track visa applications for family members of the victims seeking to travel to Australia for funerals.
The final moments of the Bondi Beach mass shooting
He said a “specific section of the department” had been set up to deal with visa applications “at a pace that would not normally be there”.
“Given the often speedy nature of funerals, in terms of the timeline in the Jewish tradition, to make sure that we maximise the chance for family members to be able to reunited here at the worst of times,” Mr Burke said.
Mr Albanese said the government would also extend funding to provide security to the Jewish community and “quickly work through” a process that would ensure insurance companies could pay out local businesses for eligible losses.Â
The federal opposition has offered to support parliament being recalled over the summer “if laws need to be passed” in response to the Bondi attack.
“Whatever needs to happen, the opposition will back in the government to make sure it doesn’t happen again,” Shadow Home Affairs Minister Jonno Duniam said on Monday.Â
“It is unacceptable that it has come to this and leadership needs to be shown now. We can’t wait another day.”