Canberra to join Australia gun buyback after Bondi attack

Canberra will join Australia's gun buyback program following a shooting at a Jewish festival in Sydney that claimed 15 lives, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced today. The centre-left government introduced legislation in January to implement stricter gun regulations, including tighter licence checks and increased efforts to combat hate speech, in response to the December 14 attack at a Bondi Beach Hanukkah celebration in New South Wales' capital.

As Australia's most populous state, New South Wales became the first to commit to the plan, set to commence on November 2. The Australian Capital Territory (ACT), which houses the national capital Canberra, has agreed to participate in a similar scheme aimed at preventing another antisemitic terrorist incident, according to Mr Albanese.

He expressed gratitude to the ACT Government for their cooperation in the nation's efforts to remove firearms from streets and enhance public safety. The ACT currently possesses 23,000 guns and more than 7,000 firearm licence holders. The statement did not specify the exact date for the ACT's buyback to begin. The perpetrators of the Bondi Beach attack, a father and son allegedly influenced by Islamic State, utilized legally acquired firearms with significant firepower.

The surviving suspect remains uncharged for the 15 murder counts. Australia's gun ownership reached a record high of 4.1 million firearms last year, according to the government. The buyback will be the largest since a campaign following the 1996 Port Arthur massacre in Tasmania, where a gunman killed 35 people.