New figures from the Department of Home Affairs show there are now a record number of firearms in Australia.
There are now more than 4 million firearms in Australia – more than at the time of the Port Arthur massacre.
Number of firearms and firearms licenses by State and Territory
State or Territory | Number of firearms | Number of firearms licences |
|---|
NSW | 1,158,654 | 260,946 |
|---|
Qld
| 1,143,895 | 231,732 |
|---|
Vic
| 974,279 | 243,851 |
|---|
SA | 329,580 | 61,498 |
|---|
WA | 272,453 | 73,166 |
|---|
Tas
| 156,339 | 36,965 |
|---|
NT | 55,678 | 14,268 |
|---|
ACT | 22,857 | 7,315 |
|---|
Total |
4,113,735 |
929,741
|
That’s why the Albanese Labor Government is introducing legislation in Parliament this week to establish a National Gun Buyback – just like the Howard Government did after Port Arthur.
This National Gun Buyback will support the delivery of National Cabinet’s commitment – in December last year – to:
- Limit the number of firearms to be held by any one individual
- Limit open-ended firearms licencing and the types of guns that are legal
- Make Australian citizenship a condition of holding a firearm license
- Accelerate work on standing up the National Firearms Register
- Allow additional use of criminal intelligence to underpin firearms licencing
Gun laws are only as strong as the weakest state, which is why having laws that are
national and
consistent is vital to their effectiveness.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Home Affairs, Tony Burke
“The deadly antisemitic terrorist attack at Bondi Beach is a national tragedy which can never be allowed to happen again.
“Our number one priority is keeping all Australians safe.
“That’s why we’re finishing the work of the Howard Government and getting dangerous guns off our streets.
“We need to deal with the motivation and the method behind the Bondi attack. The why and the how.
“We’re dealing with both – by strengthening our gun laws and cracking down on hate speech.”
