Australia’s Parliament has passed landmark anti-hate speech and stricter gun control laws in direct response to the December 14 terror attack at a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney’s Bondi Beach, where a father-son duo killed 15 people. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hailed the urgent legislative action, stating the attackers were driven by “hate in their hearts” but enabled by guns in their hands.

The government originally proposed a combined bill but split the measures into two separate pieces of legislation, both passing the House of Representatives and Senate late Tuesday with cross-party support. The Greens backed the gun reforms, while the Liberal opposition endorsed the anti-hate speech provisions. Albanese noted he would have preferred tougher hate speech measures but accepted the Senate’s compromises to ensure passage.

The new gun laws introduce stricter ownership rules, including a federally funded buyback program to compensate owners surrendering firearms. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke revealed the alleged gunmen—Indian-born Sajid Akram (killed by police) and his Australian-born son Naveed (charged with 15 murders and terrorism)—would have been ineligible under the proposed restrictions. Sajid lacked citizenship, while Naveed had been under ASIO surveillance since 2019 for extremist links.

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The anti-hate speech laws empower authorities to outlaw groups not currently classified as terrorist organizations, such as Hizb ut-Tahrir. Neo-Nazi outfit National Socialist Network has already announced plans to disband to avoid being targeted. The legislation also gives ASIO a key role in identifying groups for prohibition, aiming to curb extremist incitement.

This is Australia’s most significant gun law overhaul since the 1996 Port Arthur massacre, which prompted a massive buyback of nearly 700,000 firearms. While the federal push enjoys strong support, Tasmania, Queensland, and the Northern Territory have resisted contributing to the buyback costs, highlighting ongoing federal-state tensions.

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