By Robyn Wuth
Queensland has become the first state to publicly reject the biggest gun buyback since the Port Arthur massacre.
Premier David Crisafulli on Wednesday confirmed his state would not support the scheme, saying it wouldn’t keep guns out of terrorist and criminal hands.
Fast-tracked legislation enabling the scheme along with tighter firearms restrictions were rushed through the Senate on Tuesday night 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 1996’s Port Arthur tragedy.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese – who pitched the buyback as the biggest since the Port Arthur response – said Mr Crisafulli’s government needed to justify its position.
The Queensland premier said the state would introduce its own legislation on gun control after Canberra’s “chaotic” debate.
“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,” Mr Crisafulli said.
The Liberal National government would introduce legislation in the first sitting of state parliament in February, he added.
“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.”
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 Greens support.
Mr Albanese said Mr Crisafulli’s position wasn’t “in the interests of Queenslanders or the nation”, saying there needed to be a uniform response such as the one that followed the Port Arthur massacre in 1996.
The Northern Territory government previously said it would not back a plan for states and territories to share the costs of the buyback, 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, I will not have everyday Territorians foot that bill,” NT Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro said earlier in January.
Tasmania’s Liberal government is also yet to support the buyback and it is expected to formalise its position on Tuesday.
More than four million guns are in circulation nationwide, according to figures from the Department of Home Affairs, including more than one million in both Queensland and NSW.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said the gun laws addressed the method of the massacre, but they could only be as strong as the weakest state.
A group of Nationals senators who split with the Liberals to vote against hate speech laws are expected to lose their positions in Opposition Leader Sussan Ley’s shadow cabinet.
Senior Nationals senators Bridget McKenzie, Ross Cadell and Susan McDonald, as well as backbencher Matt Canavan, voted against Labor’s hate crimes bill in the Senate on Tuesday night.
The move contradicted a party room meeting on Sunday landing on voting in favour of the laws after the coalition had committed to working with Anthony Albanese in response to the December 14 Bondi terrorist attack.