Australia state parliament to push through stricter gun laws after Bondi shooting

The parliament of Australia's New South Wales state has been recalled on Monday to vote on proposed new laws that would impose major curbs on firearm ownership, ban the display of terror symbols and restrict protests, following the mass shooting on Sydney's Bondi Beach last week.

The state parliament was recalled for two days to debate legislation which would cap the number of firearms a person can own at four, or up to 10 for certain groups, such as farmers.

Although Australia has some of the toughest gun control laws in the world after a 1996 shooting that killed 35 people, the Bondi shooting has highlighted what authorities say are gaps.

In New South Wales, the most populous state, there is currently no limit to firearm ownership if the reason can be justified to police, and there are more than 70 people in the state who own more than 100 guns, a police firearms registry shows. One licence holder has 298 guns.

One of the alleged Bondi gunmen, Sajid Akram, 50, was shot dead by police and owned six firearms. His 24-year-old son Naveed Akram has been charged with 59 offences, including murder and terrorism, according to police.

The two alleged gunmen had planned the attack for several months and threw bombs at the crowd though they did not detonate, Australian media reported, citing a police fact sheet released by an Australian court on Monday.

Pictures included in the police report showed the father and son allegedly training with firearms in an isolated rural part of New South Wales, Australia's most populous state and which includes Sydney.

Fifteen people were killed and dozens injured in the mass shooting at a Jewish celebration at Bondi Beach on December 14. The attack has shocked the nation and sparked calls for tougher gun laws and heightened efforts to stop antisemitism.

The proposed legislation would also give police more powers to remove face coverings during protests or rallies. 

TOUGH RULES

New South Wales Premier Chris Minns told reporters outside parliament that he expected opposition to the legislation, which includes restrictions on public assemblies in the aftermath of a terrorism event, but said it was needed to keep the community safe.

"We have got a responsibility to knit together our community that comes from different races and religions and places from all over the world. We can do it in a peaceful way," he said.

New South Wales has said it will hold a royal commission into the attack, the most powerful type of Australian government inquiry. Jewish leaders have called for a national inquiry.

The opposition Liberal Party leader Sussan Ley backed those calls on Monday, and told a news conference that she has called on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to meet with her to review the terms of reference for a royal commission.

ALBANESE APPROVAL DIPS

Albanese has faced mounting criticism from opponents who argue his government has not done enough to curb a rise in antisemitism. He was booed by sections of the crowd during a memorial event in Bondi attended by tens of thousands of people on Sunday, one week after the shooting.

Albanese's government has said it has consistently denounced antisemitism and highlighted legislation passed over the last two years to criminalise hate speech and doxxing. It also expelled Iran's ambassador earlier this year after accusing Tehran of directing antisemitic attacks in Sydney and Melbourne.

A poll conducted for the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper among 1,010 voters released on Monday found Albanese's approval rating slumped 15 points to (-9) from (+6) at the beginning of December, the lowest since his resounding election win in May.

Authorities on Monday started clearing flowers, candles, letters and other items placed by the public at Bondi Beach.

The tributes would be preserved for display at the Sydney Jewish Museum and the Australian Jewish Historical Society, authorities said.

Thirteen people remain in hospital, including four in critical but stable condition, health officials said.