The bills have not yet been voted on by the Senate, and the conservative National-Liberal Coalition is likely to oppose the gun law.
Posted on January 20, 2026
Australian lawmakers passed tougher laws against hate crimes and gun violence in response to last month's mass shooting at a Jewish festival in Sydney's Bondi Beach.
On Tuesday, the House of Representatives voted in favor of a new national gun buyback plan, stricter gun licensing controls and a crackdown on hate crimes.
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Fifteen people, most of them Jewish, were killed when two gunmen opened fire during a Hanukkah celebration on Sydney's iconic beach on December 14. They were later disarmed by a Muslim hero, Ahmed al-Ahmed.
Home Secretary Tony Burke said the attack had been carried out by people with “hatred in their hearts and guns in their hands” and demanded “a comprehensive government response”.
Australian authorities have said the alleged attackers, Sajid Akram and his son Naveed, were inspired by the ISIL (ISIS) group.
“As a government, we must do everything we can to counteract both the motivation and the method,” Burke said.
The legislative reforms on guns and hate speech were voted on separately and must still be approved by the upper house, the Senate, which is expected to vote later in the day.
Gun control laws are expected to be passed with the support of the Greens despite opposition from the conservative Liberal-National Coalition, while anti-hate laws are likely to be passed with the support of the Liberal Party.
The new firearms rules will allow background checks for gun permits with input from intelligence services.
Shadow attorney-general Andrew Wallace of the Liberals said the bill revealed “the contempt the government has for Australia's millions of gun owners”.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called parliament early from its summer break for this week's two-day special session.
