General News
5 July, 2026
Deadline expires on gun buyback scheme
Labor’s proposed national gun buyback scheme has failed its own deadline, with states and territories rejecting to sign up to the proposal before laws were meant to be passed by July 1, 2026.
The Prime Minister promised agreement by March and legislation by July 1. The Coalition is describing it as "a win for common sense".
Leader of The Nationals Matt Canavan said rather than addressing criminals, extremists and illegal firearms, Labor’s firearms laws had unfairly targeted law-abiding Australians and was bad policy from the start.
“Labor’s proposed national buyback scheme and unworkable laws failed badly, because attacking lawful firearm owners was never the answer to the Bondi terror attack,” Senator Canavan said.
“This was confirmed by the interim report of the Royal Commission, which said that no state or federal agency reported that the laws as they stood at the time were insufficient to prevent an attack.
“Labor’s laws targeted the wrong people, punished regional communities and did nothing to deal with the real threats from criminals and extremists.
“States and territories have rightly walked away from this unworkable scheme because it went too far. The only thing Labor accomplished was demonising lawful firearm owners.”
Queensland, South Australia, Victoria and the Northern Territory have either rejected, declined, or refused to participate in the Albanese Government’s attack on lawful firearm owners leaving Anthony Albanese with yet another broken promise. Since the 14 December Bondi attack, Labor has not introduced a single measure to strengthen Australia’s counter-terrorism responses. The Prime Minister also initially refused to hold a Royal Commission.
Member for Parkes Jamie Chaffey said Labor had completely missed the mark in their haste to appear to be taking action following the Bondi attack.
“What happened at Bondi was horrific,” Mr Chaffey said. “But this legislation without consultation, without consideration and without a thought for the consequences for the close to one million law-abiding gun owners was an outrageous response.
“There are farmers, gun-shop owners, hunters and pest control specialists who are facing losing their livelihood, and sporting shooters who have been left totally confused.
“The states’ responses to this latest round of legislation without consultation shows just how wide of the mark Labor is in making gun owners a scapegoat for their own lack of action on antisemitism. And to make matters worse, the Coalition fought hard against this legislation, only to have the voice of regional Australia once again overturned by another dirty deal between Labor and the Greens.”
A Shooters Union Australia report, “Misfire – Estimating the impacts of a gun buyback scheme”, says despite the government refusing to release costings, industry estimates the scheme would cost up to $15 billion.
National Rifle Association of Australia executive officer Steve Bingley said firearms policy needs to be built on evidence and proper process.
“A scheme of this scale demands thorough scrutiny, including extensive consultation with affected parties,” Mr Bingley said.
“Our licensed target rifle shooters are lawful, compliant participants in a highly regulated sport. They deserve policy that reflects that reality, rather than legislation designed without them in mind.”
Sporting Shooters’ Association of Australia CEO Tom Kenyon said the Prime Minister’s and Premier Minns’ haste to deflect attention away from the failure of intelligence and policing has badly damaged the National Firearms Agreement, to the point where it can no longer be considered a national agreement.
“We are very pleased to see states around the country resisting knee-jerk actions and opting instead for rational and thoughtful firearms laws,” Mr Kenyon said.
Australian Clay Target Association chairman Michael Kruger-Davis said the association is deeply concerned the government moved to rush through reactive legislation that unfairly impacted law-abiding recreational and sporting shooters.
“The tragic Bondi shooting should not have been used as a catalyst for rushed, reactionary laws that penalise law-abiding recreational and sporting shooters,” Mr Kruger-Davis said.
