Queensland has become the first state to publicly reject a proposed national gun buyback scheme – the largest since the Port Arthur massacre.
Premier David Crisafulli confirmed on Wednesday that his state would not support the buyback, arguing it would fail to keep firearms out of the hands of terrorists and criminals.
The federal government fast-tracked legislation enabling the buyback, alongside tighter firearms restrictions, through the Senate on Tuesday night following the December 14 Bondi terror attack.
Fifteen people were killed when two gunmen opened fire at Jewish celebrations, making it the deadliest attack in Australia since the Port Arthur massacre in 1996.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who has pitched the proposal as the most significant gun reform since Port Arthur, said the Queensland government needed to justify its opposition.
Crisafulli said Queensland would instead pursue its own gun control legislation after what he described as a “chaotic” debate in Canberra.
“Queensland won’t be going down the path of gun buyback because it doesn’t address anti-Semitism and hate, and it doesn’t focus on keeping guns out of the hands of terrorists and criminals,” Crisafulli said.
He added that the Liberal National government would introduce legislation during the first sitting of state parliament in February.
“We’ve done it in a really calm way, and we’ve taken our time … our response is going to focus on the heart of the issue – anti-Semitism, hatred and guns in the hands of terrorists and criminals,” he said.
“I’ve seen what’s unfolded in Canberra – most Australians have looked at it and have thought it’s a very confusing debate, and some might say even a little chaotic, and I don’t want that in Queensland.”
The federal Labor government initially attempted to legislate its gun reforms alongside new anti-hate measures, but split the bill after failing to secure sufficient support in the Senate.
The gun provisions passed on Tuesday with the backing of the Greens.
Albanese said Queensland’s stance was not “in the interests of Queenslanders or the nation”, arguing that Australia required a uniform national response similar to the one implemented after Port Arthur.
The Northern Territory government has also declined to support a cost-sharing model for the buyback, which would see states and territories incentivise gun owners to surrender their firearms for payment.
“If the federal government wants to put a national buyback scheme in place, they should fund it, I will not have everyday Territorians foot that bill,” Northern Territory Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro said earlier this month.
Tasmania’s Liberal government has yet to formally declare its position and is expected to do so on Tuesday.
According to the Department of Home Affairs, more than four million firearms are in circulation nationally, including more than one million each in Queensland and New South Wales.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said the proposed gun laws addressed the method used in the Bondi attack but warned they would only be effective if adopted consistently nationwide.
The legislation has also exposed divisions within the Coalition, with several Nationals senators expected to lose shadow cabinet positions after voting against Labor’s hate crimes bill.
Senior Nationals senators Bridget McKenzie, Ross Cadell and Susan McDonald, along with backbencher Matt Canavan, opposed the hate speech laws in the Senate on Tuesday night.
Their votes went against a party room decision made on Sunday, which committed the Coalition to working with the Albanese government in response to the December 14 Bondi terror attack.
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