National cabinet vows tougher gun laws

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese convened an urgent national cabinet meeting on Monday, where premiers and first ministers unanimously agreed to bolster rules on gun ownership following the terrorist attack at Bondi Beach.

What we know:

• Leaders agreed that “strong and focused action” was needed on gun law reform, including renegotiating the national firearms agreement created after the 1996 Port Arthur massacre (ABC).

• Reforms include limiting the number of guns allowed to be owned by one person, reducing the types of guns deemed legal and making citizenship a condition of holding a gun licence (The Age).

• Before the Bondi attack, the NSW government had considered backing the Shooters party on a bill that would ease restrictions on weapons (The Saturday Paper).

• However, last night NSW Premier Chris Minns told ABC’s 7.30 “I’m determined to introduce the toughest gun legislation in the country” (SMH).

• To counter anti-Semitism, national cabinet also agreed to establish a national hate crimes and incidents database, enhance security of Jewish community and cultural sites, and coordinate work across intelligence and police agencies (The Guardian).

• It comes as Albanese said the two gunmen, a father and son, were “motivated by this extremist ideology, and further detail, of course, will be released when the police go through their work” (BBC).

• Albanese revealed that one of the attackers, Naveed Akram, 24, was investigated by ASIO in 2019 over his association with Islamic State terrorist Isaac El Matari, who is serving seven years in jail for planning an IS insurgency (WAToday).

• Vigils were held in Sydney and Melbourne on Monday to mourn the deaths of the 15 people killed. Menorahs were lit, as the Jewish community continued to mark Hanukkah following the tragedy (ABC).