NSW Premier Chris Minns says state Parliament will be recalled next week to debate gun law reform in the wake of a terror attack on Bondi Beach that killed 15 people.
The NSW government will recall Parliament on December 22 and 23 “to address urgent legislation that we believe is needed before Christmas to keep the community safe, and to ensure that unambiguous laws are in place when it comes to public safety,” Minns told reporters in Sydney.
He said the first bill to be dealt with concerns firearms legislation, and he also indicated that certain protests on international issues should be preemptively banned.
The exact legislation has not yet been drafted, but Minns said it will include a limit on the number of firearms, a reclassification of regular shotguns, possibly a ban on belt-fed magazines in those shotguns and the removal of NCAT as an appeals mechanism once a direction is made about revoking a license from the registered authority.
Minns said he would work to end the appeal process.
“Currently, New South Wales Police routinely strip licenses from gun holders and permit holders who they suspect or fear pose a threat to the community. These appeals are heard in NCAT, and often the police objections are overturned and the guns remain with that person,” he said.
Sixteen people, including one of two alleged gunmen, were killed in an attack on a Jewish Hanukkah party on Bondi Beach on Sunday evening.
One of the alleged gunmen, Australian-born Naveed Akram, has regained consciousness after being in a coma since the weekend attack.
The second alleged shooter, his father Sajid Akram, was an Indian citizen and had six guns to his name. He was shot dead by the police.
NSW could take the protests further
Minns said the government wants to reform the rules surrounding protests.
“We are looking at reforms wherein when there is terrorism in the state, the police commissioner will not accept applications for protests as this will both deplete police resources and secondly increase communal disharmony and consequently create a combustible situation in the state,” he said.
Minns said the proposed changes would include a general rule on banning demonstrations where there was a terrorism designation, as they could be dangerous “especially those about international events”.
He said it would not apply to one specific group, but would apply to those who had filed Form 1 (a notice of intention to hold a public meeting).
“My concern is that a mass demonstration in this flammable situation with our multicultural community could ignite a flame that would be impossible to extinguish,” he said.
The Palestine Action Group – which organizes pro-Palestinian protests – said in a statement that Minns’ announcement “poses a serious danger to our democratic rights in NSW”.
“The right to protest is fundamental in any democratic society, to enable people to express their views and hold governments to account.”
The group said no protests are currently planned, “but whether or not we have the right to protest should not be up to the government of the day.”
“Silencing protest will not create unity or security. It will entrench injustice, deepen divisions and give the state sweeping powers to stifle dissent on any issue they choose.”
Bondi Beach reopening postponed
NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said police had hoped to take quicker action in reopening the parts of Bondi Beach designated as a crime scene, but instead of reopening this afternoon, the crime scene will be returned to police area command by the homicide squad this afternoon.
Lanyon said relatives of victims would be given a tour of the site.
Responding to questions about why police did not charge Naveed Akram, Lanyon said they were waiting for his medical condition to improve.
“We are waiting until his medical condition is in order. It is important that he has the right cognitive skills. For his fairness, we want him to understand what exactly is happening.”
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