This piece is freely available to read. Become a paid subscriber today and help keep Mencari News financially afloat so that we can continue to pay our writers for their insight and expertise.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced plans to pursue tougher gun laws at an emergency National Cabinet meeting Monday, one day after a terror attack at Sydney’s Bondi Pavilion left two police officers seriously injured and prompted questions about how a man under intelligence surveillance gained access to his father’s firearms.
The proposed reforms include limits on the number of firearms an individual can own, mandatory periodic license reviews, and strengthened background checks. Albanese said licenses “should not be in perpetuity” given that people’s circumstances can change over time, including through radicalisation.
The push follows revelations that one of the attackers had been investigated by ASIO, Australia’s domestic intelligence agency, in October 2019 due to concerning associations. The six-month investigation concluded without finding evidence of an imminent threat. His father legally owned six firearms.
When asked whether intelligence interest in the son should have triggered a review of his father’s gun license, Albanese declined to answer directly, saying he had “full support for our security agencies.”
Albanese also disclosed that Australia still lacks a complete National Firearms Register, noting that some states maintained only paper records before his government began work on a unified system.
The attack targeted a Jewish Hanukkah celebration at the historic Bondi Pavilion. Albanese described it as “an act of pure evil, an act of terror, an act of anti-Semitism.”
The government simultaneously announced support measures for the Jewish community, including expedited visitor visas for overseas relatives attending funerals, extended security funding, and work toward a terrorism insurance declaration for affected businesses.
A bystander, Ahmed El Ahmed, was seriously injured after disarming one of the attackers and remained in hospital following surgery.
Follow us across all major podcasting platforms and social media channels for updates that matter. Your support keeps independent journalism alive!
For more in-depth coverage on these stories and other news affecting Australia and the world, subscribe to readmencari.com. Support our independent journalism by listening to our podcasts on all major platforms and considering a subscription to help us continue delivering fearless reporting free from financial and political influence.
Got a News Tip?
Contact our editor via Proton Mail encrypted, X Direct Message, LinkedIn, or email. You can securely message him on Signal by using his username, Miko Santos.
The Mencari readers receive journalism free of financial and political influence.
We set our own news agenda, which is always based on facts rather than billionaire ownership or political pressure.
Despite the financial challenges that our industry faces, we have decided to keep our reporting open to the public because we believe that everyone has the right to know the truth about the events that shape their world.
Thanks to the unwavering support of our readers, we’re able to keep the news flowing freely. If you’re able, please join us in supporting Mencari.
Join over 1000 readers. Sign up here.
We’d love it if you could share the email with your friends! Just (copy the URL here.
