Australia’s New South Wales state parliament on Wednesday passed stricter gun and anti-terror rules following the deadly mass shooting on Bondi Beach.
The parliament passed the Terrorism and Other Legislation Amendment Bill early morning after the Upper House approved the Bill by 18 votes to eight during an emergency sitting. The laws include tightening firearm ownership, banning public display of terror symbols, and strengthening police power to curb protests.
The bill was passed in the Lower House on Tuesday with support from the governing centre-left Labour and the opposition Liberal Party. It was, however, opposed by the National Party, which argued that the ownership caps would unfairly disadvantage farmers.
NSW premier Chris Minns acknowledged that not all residents of NSW would support the tougher reforms, but said his government was doing everything possible to keep people safe.
“Sydney and New South Wales has changed forever as a result of that terrorist activity” he said to the press.
On December 14, two men opened fire at a Jewish Hannukah celebration, killing 15 people and injuring dozens others. The attack is being termed as Australia’s deadliest in almost three decades and prompted calls for stricter gun laws as well as action against anti-semitism.
Also Read: Australia announces “gun buyback” after Bondi Beach attack
The two alleged gunmen, Sajid Akram, 50, who was shot dead by police, and his son, Naveed Akram, 24, are believed to have been inspired by the militant group, Islamic State. Naveed has been charged with 59 offences, including murder and terrorism.
Minns described the new gun laws as the toughest in Australia. These include capping individual licenses at four, while farmers will be permitted to own up to 10 guns. It has also been made mandatory for all firearms license holders to have gun club membership.
The police has been granted additional powers to impose restrictions on protests for up to three months after a declared terror attack. Public display of flags and symbols of prohibited militant organisations such as Islamic State, Hamas or Hezbollah has been outlawed, with offenders inviting jail term for up to two years or a fine of A$ 22,000.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has also vowed a crackdown on hate speech besides enforcing stricter gun laws. His centre-left federal government is now planning to introduce a legislation that makes it easier to prosecute those promoting hatred and violence, and to cancel or deny visas to people involved in hate speech. He had also announced a gun buyback plan earlier.
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