NSW Parliament has passed controversial gun and protest law reforms introduced after the Bondi terror attack, with the bill clearing the Upper House 18 votes to eight just before 3am.
The Minns government recalled parliament following the Bondi Beach shooting that killed 15 people.
The legislation tightens firearms licensing and restricts mass protests after terrorism incidents, sparking two days of heated debate and a split within the Coalition, with the Nationals opposing the gun provisions.
Most amendments failed, but a firearms amendment from Greens MP Sue Higginson passed unanimously.
The change prevents the police commissioner from granting gun permits to anyone investigated for terrorism-related offences, associated with a proscribed terrorist organisation, or living with someone who has been investigated.
Higginson said the amendment was “very simple” and “necessary,” adding that existing laws were too “broad” and “general.”
Independent MP Mark Latham said the change could have prevented Bondi gunman Sajid Akram from accessing firearms, while Nationals frontbencher Sarah Mitchell called it “pretty much a no-brainer.”
The Greens abstained from the final vote, describing the protest laws as “an assault on democratic freedoms.” Government frontbencher Penny Sharpe defended the package as a “balanced bill,” saying, “There’s before Bondi and after Bondi.”
The legislation now returns to the Lower House for final approval, with activist groups planning a constitutional challenge to the protest restrictions.
Source: ABC.
