‍Thursday 2 July 2026

Member for Mallee Dr Anne Webster has welcomed the failure of Albanese Labor’s proposed national gun buyback scheme after it failed to meet its own deadline.  States and territories rejected to sign up to Labor’s unworkable proposal before laws were meant to be passed by 1 July.

“The Prime Minister promised agreement by March and legislation by 1 July. PM Albanese has thankfully failed on both fronts, in a win for common sense and the country’s one million law-abiding firearm owners,” Dr Webster said.

“Rather than addressing Islamic terrorism, extremists and criminals, Labor’s firearms laws unfairly targeted law-abiding Australians.  It was bad policy from the start.

“Attacking lawful firearm owners was never the answer to the Bondi terror attack.

“The interim report of the Royal Commission confirmed no state or federal agency reported that the laws as they stood at the time of the Bondi attack were insufficient to prevent an attack.

“The only thing Labor accomplished was demonising lawful firearm owners.”

Victoria, Queensland, South Australia 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.

Gininderra Falls farmer John Hyles told a press conference in Canberra on Thursday that during lambing in a thousand-strong ewe herd, feral pigs eat lambs as they are born, highlighting why law-abiding firearm ownership is essential for pest control.

Sunraysia resident and executive officer of the Australian Clay Target Association Les Kadziela said the Albanese Government’s firearms proposals were misdirected.

“From the outset, we maintained that what the Government proposed was a knee-jerk reaction that would not have changed the circumstances of the tragic Bondi massacre. All it did was target recreational and sporting shooters who are law abiding gun owners. We would more than welcome changes that make gun ownership safe. The facts are, a lot of clubs been shooting for many decades without incident, and criminals do not use licensed guns.”

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.

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.”

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