Picture courtesy of China Daily

 

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has unveiled a national gun buy-back initiative aimed at reducing the number of firearms in the country following the tragic Bondi Beach shooting. The plan targets surplus, newly banned, and illegal guns, with legislation to support the scheme's funding shared by both federal and state governments. A day of reflection is scheduled for December 21 to honour the victims, along with a national day of mourning next year.

 

Albanese disclosed that the Office of National Intelligence identified an ISIS-related online video as the inspiration for the shooting. Under the buy-back program, state and territory authorities will collect and manage compensation for surrendered firearms, while federal police will handle the destruction of weapons. The initiative aims to collect and destroy hundreds of thousands of firearms, making it the largest since the 1996 buy-back.

 

After the Port Arthur massacre in 1996, where a shooter killed 35 people, Australia first overhauled its strict gun laws. The tragic event prompted immediate legislation and a substantial gun amnesty, leading to the removal of over 650,000 firearms from public circulation. Despite these efforts, the number of firearms has risen to over four million today, surpassing the levels at the time of the Port Arthur attack.

 

Key Takeaways

• Australian PM announces comprehensive gun buy-back post-Bondi shooting.
• A national reflection day on December 21 for victims, with a mourning day next year.
• Current gun numbers in Australia have surpassed those during the Port Arthur incident.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from CNN 2025-12-19

 

 

 

 

Damn time. I didn't even realise Aussies had guns and would therefore copy US mass shootings.

 

Not holding my breath for the US to do the same. Can't have arms dealers starving, now can we.

So, honest people with no nefarious intent will be selling their guns and their means to defend themselves.

 

What could possibly go wrong?

 

Disarm honest law abiding citizens.

 

Import radical law breaking extremists.

 

What could possibly go wrong? Oh look, it already did. 

 

Predictably, they are now using this tragedy to "crack down on hate speech". In other words, the speech they hate. Never let a crisis go to waste. 

 

 https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgmneem1e89o

 

 

Perhaps they can twist this massacre by Muslim extremists to widen the recent ban on social media as well. Because obviously THAT was the problem here. 

 

 

There is around 1,000,000 fire arm licensed holders in Australia. Average is 4 guns per licence. Just doing the maths not regarding how many guns each license has.

 

1,000,000 licenses / 1 person with license=  0.0001%

 

The other bloke was unregistered so put your own maths into the equation.

 

Crackdown warranted ffs.....

 

My feelings go out to those affected.

 

May your God bless you Matilda 10 years old.

 

 

 

 

There's two options for people owning guns ....

 

1. You're planning an attack on innocent people so you'll definitely be keeping your guns

 

or

 

2. You're a citizen who wants to protect your family from the nut jobs who are planning to attack you, so you'll definitely be keeping your guns.

 

So the police PR squad will have library photos of a few old duffers handing in their Boer War blunderbuss's and claim it was a great success.

Just the convenient excuse the kontrol freeks were looking for to disarm otherwise peaceful Aussie citizens.

 

You better wake yo arxes up, Australians... or did you enjoy the abuse you got during the Convid lockup?

 

21/12  for your number 33 of course...

7 hours ago, impulse said:

So, honest people with no nefarious intent will be selling their guns and their means to defend themselves.

You guys think every country is a f'd up as yours, it's hilarious. 

11 minutes ago, Kinnock said:

There's two options for people owning guns ....

 

1. You're planning an attack on innocent people so you'll definitely be keeping your guns

 

or

 

2. You're a citizen who wants to protect your family from the nut jobs who are planning to attack you, so you'll definitely be keeping your guns.

 

So the police PR squad will have library photos of a few old duffers handing in their Boer War blunderbuss's and claim it was a great success.

Or

 

3. You use your guns for game-shooting, vermin-shooting, clay-pigeon shooting etc.

 

When I lived in the UK, I had gun licences for shotguns and firearms.  I lived in a rural location and was involved in game-shooting, vermin-shooting, clay-pigeon shooting etc. I never even considered using them to protect myself or my family, because at that time the chances of needing to do was absolutely minimal.  However, times change....

 

But it does weird that someone in the middle of a city (Sydney) is allowed to have several guns, especially since they were Muslim...

9 hours ago, unblocktheplanet said:

Damn time. I didn't even realise Aussies had guns and would therefore copy US mass shootings.

 

Not holding my breath for the US to do the same. Can't have arms dealers starving, now can we.

I have been in OZ for 43 years, never had a gun.

If guns are outlawed, only outlaws have guns.  

Sucks to be a normal law-abiding citizens though.  It just makes you a unarmed target for the outlaws.

This will work out great just like in Canada where only criminals are allowed to have guns

14 minutes ago, Celsius said:

This will work out great just like in Canada where only criminals are allowed to have guns

And where mass shootings are relatively rare, ad where the gun death rate per capita is magnitudes of order less than America. Yeah, sounds terrifying. 

2 hours ago, josephbloggs said:

You guys think every country is a f'd up as yours, it's hilarious. 

Australia europe and canada have too many muslims. Your countries are more f’d 

Just now, josephbloggs said:

And where mass shootings are relatively rare, ad where the gun death rate per capita is magnitudes of order less than America. Yeah, sounds terrifying. 

 

It's ok, I like canada too just stating facts. 

 

 

3 minutes ago, angryguy said:

Australia europe and canada have too many muslims. Your countries are more f’d 

What a racist remark, but then again,n you are a Trump supporter

Deflection from failed policy and pandering to the extreme left. This is what this is. 

4 hours ago, still kicking said:

What a racist remark, but then again,n you are a Trump supporter

If the truth hurts ..... call it racist

11 hours ago, angryguy said:

Australia europe and canada have too many muslims. Your countries are more f’d 

Do you know any Muslims on a day to day basis? I would much rather hang with a group of them than an equal number of MAGA gun nuts. 

 

22 hours ago, impulse said:

So, honest people with no nefarious intent will be selling their guns and their means to defend themselves.

 

What could possibly go wrong?

 

See, it all starts there. We need to defend ourselves. In my 75 years, only twice. Once from a dog. It's a false premise from the git-go. If you're violent, violence will find you. Both of you have a gun. Bang-bang, you're dead. Sory to say, but good riddance.

15 hours ago, Thaifish said:

There is around 1,000,000 fire arm licensed holders in Australia. Average is 4 guns per licence. Just doing the maths not regarding how many guns each license has.

 

1,000,000 licenses / 1 person with license=  0.0001%

Two hands, four guns. Yep, I don't get the math.

14 hours ago, simon43 said:

But it does weird that someone in the middle of a city (Sydney) is allowed to have several guns, especially since they were Muslim...

Esp because they were human...

13 hours ago, Celsius said:

This will work out great just like in Canada where only criminals are allowed to have guns

And, ahem, how much gun violence do we see??? So common in the US, media often doesn't even bother to report.

10 hours ago, dinsdale said:

Deflection from failed policy and pandering to the extreme left. This is what this is. 

As I said before, you assume every country is as f'd up as yours. They aren't. We (Brits, Australians) don't need to feel like Rambo, we don't want guns on our streets, we don't want them in our homes. And more to the point: we don't need them.

Who is "pandering to the extreme left"? You're out of your mind. There was a tragic mass shooting. Australia doesn't like mass shootings, unlike your country. Australia immediately takes action after one happens, unlike your country. Australia likely won't see another one for many many years to come, unlike your country which will have dozens more the same year.

They are "pandering" to the wishes of their people to be safe from extreme gun violence. And bravo! If only your leaders weren't so spineless.

 

Australia after a tragic mass shooting: Take action, get guns off the streets.

America after what is almost a daily mass shooting: ......................

 

 

And then American gun nuts come on here to criticise. It is insane, how can you not see which route is better? A bunch of pathetic wannabe rambos.

On 12/19/2025 at 9:48 AM, webfact said:

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has unveiled a national gun buy-back initiative aimed at reducing the number of firearms in the country

Again......

4 million gun owners and no mythical good guy with a gun. 

How many times have people stopped a mass shooting in America? Very few.

 

Why are Americans so upset about what goes on in another country?

It has nothing to do with you!

Australians are the smarter people here for sure.

The magadonians keep recycling the same old boring cliches because that is all they have!

Don't worry,there will be a mass shooting in the US soon again so you can all feel better!

in the meantime,go clean your guns and stock up on more ammo.

So strange that you need a gun to pretend to be a man!

back to you! lol.

1 hour ago, josephbloggs said:

We (Brits, Australians) don't need to feel like Rambo, we don't want guns on our streets, we don't want them in our homes. And more to the point: we don't need them.

Well you take away the guns from the law abiding citizens,and then the only people who have a gun are the police and the other criminals,  you then have to go down an ever descending scale of what is an offensive weapon..pen knifes,hammers,keys, stiletto heels  ????

 

As a Brit I have assumed our current PM is the most unlikeable and incompetent on the planet until, that is, the Bondi tragedy occurred and I became aware of the existence of Albanese. His appearance and manner, and his effort to blame the tragedy on insufficient gun control, is pathetic. His first priority should be to rid Australia of all potential  Islamist terrorists in his country.

Two year buy back scheme, then tens years in jail for possession

 

Japan. End of debate.