AUSTRALIA’S Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on Monday that he would introduce tougher national gun laws following a mass shooting at a Hanukkah celebration on Sydney’s Bondi Beach, which left at least 15 people dead.
AP cited Albanese revealed today that his proposals would include limits on the number of firearms a licensed individual may acquire. The announcement came after authorities confirmed that the older of the two gunmen—a father and son—had legally held a gun licence for a decade and possessed six firearms lawfully.
“The government is prepared to take whatever action is necessary. Included in that is the need for tougher gun laws,” Albanese told reporters.
“People’s circumstances can change. People can be radicalised over a period of time. Licences should not be in perpetuity,” he added.
At least 38 people were being treated in hospitals following Sunday’s attack, during which the two shooters fired indiscriminately at beachgoers. Among those killed were a 10-year-old girl, a rabbi, and a Holocaust survivor.
The massacre, the deadliest in Australia in nearly three decades, struck a nation with strict gun control laws designed to prevent mass attacks, particularly through the removal of rapid-fire rifles. Albanese described the atrocity as an act of antisemitic terrorism that targeted the heart of the nation.
He vowed swift reforms, planning to present his gun law proposals to a national cabinet meeting including state leaders. Some measures will require legislation at the state level.
“Some laws are commonwealth and some laws are implemented by the states,” Albanese said. “What we want to do is to make sure that we’re all completely on the same page.”
Christopher Minns, Premier of New South Wales, where Sydney is located, agreed that gun licences should not be granted indefinitely.
“It means introducing a bill to Parliament to—I mean to be really blunt—make it more difficult to get these horrifying weapons that have no practical use in our community,” Minns told reporters.
“If you’re not a farmer, you’re not involved in agriculture, why do you need these massive weapons that put the public in danger and make life dangerous and difficult for New South Wales Police?” he asked.
Australia’s gun laws were last extensively revised following the 1996 Port Arthur massacre in Tasmania, where 35 people were killed.
The attack has also intensified scrutiny over antisemitism in the country. Jewish leaders and survivors expressed fear and anger at what they viewed as government inaction prior to the shooting.
“There’s been a heap of inaction,” said Lawrence Stand, a Sydney man who rushed to the Bar Mitzvah celebration at Bondi during the attack to find his 12-year-old daughter. “But the people were warned about this… And still not enough has been done by our government.”
Alex Ryvchin, spokesperson for the Australian Council of Executive Jewry, added, “I think the federal government has made a number of missteps on antisemitism. I think when an attack such as what we saw yesterday takes place, the paramount and fundamental duty of government is the protection of its citizens, so there’s been an immense failure.”
Ryvchin emphasised the need for investigation into how the attack was allowed to occur, noting that proceedings had begun on Monday.
Little is publicly known about the shooters, who police confirmed were a father and son but whose names have not been released. - December 15, 2025
