New South Wales Liberals want to freeze gun buyback — ABC News Australia
The Liberal Party of the Australian state of New South Wales has promised to freeze the state firearms buyback program and abolish limits on the number of firearms for farmers if it wins next year's election. This was reported by ABC News Australia.
New South Wales was the first state to join the national gun buyback program announced after the terrorist attack at Bondi Beach on December 14, 2025. Last year, the state's Liberals voted with the government for restrictions on gun ownership and the buyback program, but the party now promises to repeal the restrictions and freeze the buyback. The proposed changes will depend on the findings of a commission of inquiry and feedback from stakeholders.
Positions of the opposition and the government
Opposition leader Kellie Sloane said the party's support for tougher rules after the Bondi attack was driven by consultations with stakeholders and the need to revisit the issue if unintended consequences emerged. According to her, a Liberal-National Coalition government would establish a commission of inquiry into the reform in order to focus measures on combating terrorism, organised crime and removing firearms from dangerous individuals.
New South Wales Police Minister Yasmin Catley called the Liberals' change of position an abandonment of the tougher gun laws they had previously supported. She also said that the Liberal and National parties were following the course of One Nation, which, she said, seeks weaker gun laws.
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Security and the election campaign
Gun control has become one of the campaign issues ahead of the state parliamentary election, which is due to take place in around six months. Kellie Sloane has repeatedly accused the Labor government of losing control of the situation on Sydney's streets.
Southern and south-western Sydney have experienced a series of retaliatory attacks over the past 18 months linked to conflicts in criminal circles; uninvolved people have also been affected. This week, the state government introduced legislative changes to parliament aimed at criminal networks and expanding police powers. In particular, it is proposed that minors accused of certain crimes linked to organised crime be tried or sentenced as adults in district or supreme courts.
The Liberals are also campaigning amid an anti-corruption investigation into the actions of the party's right wing and growing support for One Nation. New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said in parliament that One Nation could be the biggest threat to Labor in the upcoming election.
