One state has publicly rejected Australia’s biggest gun buyback since the Port Arthur massacre while another has left the door open to walk away.
Queensland’s Liberal-National government confirmed it would not support the scheme just hours after it passed federal parliament.
“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,” Premier David Crisafulli said on Wednesday.
Legislation enabling the scheme, along with tighter firearms restrictions, was rushed through the Senate after the December 14 Bondi terror attack.
Fifteen people were killed when two gunmen opened fire on Jewish celebrations, making the attack the deadliest in Australia since the 1996 Port Arthur tragedy.
Queensland’s government is set to introduce its own gun control legislation in 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,” Mr Crisafulli 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.”
Tasmania’s Liberal government appeared less decisive, saying it would work through gun reforms to ensure they “meaningfully improved public safety and were based on evidence”.
“Tasmania has not said that they are opposing it,” state minister and former federal MP Bridget Archer said.
“Tasmania has said that we are open to reforms but we also need to work through that and have those discussions in a measured and considered way.”
The Northern Territory government previously said it would not back a plan for states and territories to share buyback costs, which would incentivise gun owners to hand in their firearms for payment.
“If the federal government wants to put a national buyback scheme in place, they should fund it,” NT Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro said earlier in January.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Mr Crisafulli’s government needed to justify its position.
He said the premier’s position wasn’t “in the interests of Queenslanders or the nation” and there needed to be a uniform response like the one that followed Port Arthur.
The federal Labor government first tried to push through its gun laws with separate anti-hate provisions, but it split the bill after failing to get the numbers in the Senate.
The gun provisions passed on Tuesday with support from the Greens.
More than four million guns are in circulation nationwide, according to figures from the Department of Home Affairs, including more than one million each in Queensland and NSW.
Victoria’s Labor government on Wednesday threw its backing behind the scheme, saying the buyback’s cost would not be an issue.
“We can afford to do what’s needed,” Deputy Premier Ben Carroll told reporters.
“I’m on the Labor side of politics and I’ll always give credit to John Howard for what he did in ’96 on the gun buyback … this gun buyback is really important and we’ll do everything we can to support the Commonwealth.”
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said the gun laws addressed the method of the Bondi massacre, but they could only be as strong as the weakest state.
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