Australian authorities announced on Monday plans to heighten firearms restrictions after two gunmen killed 15 people at a Jewish festival on Sydney’s Bondi Beach, a mass shooting national authorities have called “an act of pure evil, an act of terror, an act of antisemitism.” 

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese made the announcement following a National Security Committee meeting and ahead of a National Cabinet joint meeting with state and territory leaders. The proposed reforms include stricter background checks, limits on the number of firearms per licensee, and periodic reviews of individual gun-license holders.

The Commonwealth government, the states and territories plan to collaborate on a unified national response, to be led for the National Cabinet. Australia’s longstanding consensus on strict gun control, established after the 1996 Port Arthur massacre, has now fallen under scrutiny. The Bondi attackers, a father and son, legally obtained multiple firearms despite the son having been investigated by security services in 2019.

In a press conference at Parliament House, Prime Minister Albanese outlined the immediate response and the planned legislative overhaul, stating:

The Government is prepared to take whatever action is necessary. Included in that is the need for tougher gun laws. And this afternoon… I will put on the agenda of the National Cabinet tougher gun laws, including limits on the number of guns that can be used or licensed by individuals, and a review of licenses over a period of time. People’s circumstances change, people can be radicalized over a period of time. Licenses should not be in perpetuity.

The Commonwealth and state governments will also jointly develop measures to close perceived gaps in the National Firearms Agreement. The prime minister specifically referenced accelerating the implementation of a National Firearms Register, a key reform intended to prevent information-sharing failures between jurisdictions.

The commitment to reform is portrayed as the first step of the political response to a national tragedy. The announced principles must now be translated into specific legally binding agreements and legislation.