Australia Passes New Bills for Tougher Gun Control and Anti-Hate Speech Laws

Both laws were passed in response to the Bondi Beach terrorist attack that targeted a Jewish celebration and killed 15 people.
Australia Passes New Bills for Tougher Gun Control and Anti-Hate Speech Laws
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaks at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, on Jan. 19, 2026. Hilary Wardhaugh/Getty Images
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The Australian Parliament has passed two new bills that will set up a national gun buyback scheme, and attempt to combat anti-Semitism and hate speech in response to the Bondi terror attack.

In Australia’s lower house, the gun buyback bill passed 96 to 45 with the Liberal-National Coalition opposing, while the hate and extremism-focused bill passed with amendments, securing 116 votes to just seven.

Naziya Alvi Rahman
Naziya Alvi Rahman
Author
Naziya Alvi Rahman is a Canberra-based journalist who covers political issues in Australia. She can be reached at [email protected].