16 News

The Albanese Government and Barr Government have reached an agreement to deliver a Gun Buyback Scheme in the ACT following a similar agreement with NSW.

Following the deadly antisemitic terrorist attack at Bondi Beach last year, National Cabinet stood in solidarity and agreed to action to eradicate antisemitism and to strengthen gun laws across the nation. 

Greater consistency between jurisdictions is important to ensure firearms reforms designed to strengthen community safety and reduce the number of high-risk firearms are effective.

The Commonwealth Government will fund 75 per cent of the compensation and administration costs of the scheme and all firearm destruction costs for the ACT.

There are more than 7,000 firearms licence holders and about 23,000 firearms in the Territory.

Approximately 14 per cent of ACT licence holders may be affected by the proposed firearms cap. Further details will be announced in due course.

In February, the ACT Government introduced the Firearms (Public Safety) Amendment Bill 2026 (Public Safety Bill). The Bill seeks to limit the number of firearms a licensee may possess or use, re-categorise certain firearms, prohibit belt-fed firearms, and create an offence for possession of digital blueprints for the computer-aided manufacture of firearms and firearm parts.

These measures are intended to reduce the capacity for harm caused by the misuse or diversion of firearms to illicit markets and to prevent the proliferation of untraceable and illegal weapons that threaten the security of the ACT community.

The ACT Government has also introduced the Firearms (Firearm Prohibition Orders) Amendment Bill 2026.

This Bill seeks to introduce a firearm prohibition order scheme into the ACT to give police additional tools to ensure high-risk individuals do not gain access to firearms.

These Bills are still before the ACT Legislative Assembly and are anticipated to be debated during the spring sittings of the Territory Parliament.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese:

“We’re taking action to strengthen Australia’s gun laws and keep our communities safe.

“National gun reform is an important part of making sure an antisemitic terrorist attack like we saw at Bondi can’t happen again.

“I thank the ACT Government for their collaboration as we work to take guns off our streets in order to better protect Australians.”

ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr:

“This agreement strengthens community safety and supports effective firearms reforms across jurisdictions. Reducing the number of high-risk firearms in circulation is a sensible and practical measure to help keep Canberrans safer. Working with the Commonwealth and NSW ensures a more coordinated approach to firearms safety.

“The ACT has some of the strongest firearms laws in the country and this agreement supports our ongoing efforts to further reduce the risk of firearms falling into the wrong hands.

“We recognise that the overwhelming majority of firearm licence holders are responsible and law-abiding citizens. The buyback scheme will provide compensation while helping deliver further community safety outcomes.” 

Minister for Home Affairs Tony Burke:

“After the horrific antisemitic attack at Bondi, our government committed to addressing the motive and the method of the attack.

“Since then we have brought forward the strongest laws against hate speech and hate crimes in the history of our country, and initiated the most significant round of gun reform since the wake of the Port Arthur massacre.”

ACT Minister For Police, Fire And Emergency Services Dr Marisa Paterson:

“We take our responsibility as a government to do everything we can to reduce the risk posed by firearms in the community and keep Canberrans safe. I want to recognise that the majority of firearms owners are responsible and law-abiding, and we acknowledge that the reform agenda is significant.

“We are here to work with the community as we progress through the changes. Once we have finalised the agreement we will provide clear information to the community about the process of the buyback, including eligibility, compensation and the process for surrendering the firearms.

“This will be a major undertaking for ACT Policing and the ACT Government will continue to work to support them as they progress. Work is also continuing to progress on the development of a fully digital ACT Firearms Registry, which will be integrated with the National Firearms Register and will provide frontline police with real-time access to firearms data.”

ACT Policing Chief Police Officer Scott Lee:

“ACT Policing supports an ACT gun buyback scheme and believe it is an important measure to reduce the number of firearms in circulation in the ACT.”

“We know that reducing firearms availability can reduce the risk that firearms will end up in the wrong hands and that legally owned firearms can be stolen and diverted into illicit markets, where they may become available to organised crime or individuals with extremist ideologies.”

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, Richard Marles, and Solomon Island’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Public Service, the Hon Francis Sade, officially opened the Western Border Outpost today in the Shortland Islands, Solomon Islands. 

The Western Border Outpost is a jointly delivered infrastructure project between the Australian and Solomon Islands governments. This new facility brings together the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF), Customs, Immigration, and Biosecurity officials in a single location, enhancing interagency coordination and strengthening border management operations that help keep Solomon Islands secure.

Minister for Police, National Security and Correctional Services, the Hon John Tuhaika Jnr., and Minister of Commerce, Industry, Labour & Immigration, the Hon Harry Kuma also attended the opening ceremony.

The new facility will support Solomon Islands to strengthen border management and maritime security, marking a significant milestone in the longstanding security partnership between the two nations. Once handed over, this will be a sovereign Solomon Islands facility.

Australia is investing more than $100 million (AUD) towards the project, which will also provide offices, accommodation and a wharf capable of supporting Solomon Islands’ Guardian-class Patrol Boats. 

In partnership with the Solomon Islands Government, this project has created lasting benefits for local communities including 368 jobs created and more than 1,000 contracts awarded to local businesses.

Australia is proud to support the broad range of initiatives that strengthen Solomon Islands’ national security capabilities and support the growth of the RSIPF.

Deputy Prime Minister, Richard Marles:

“The official opening of the Western Border Outpost marks an important milestone in Australia’s longstanding partnership with Solomon Islands.

“This new facility will support Solomon Islands to strengthen border management and maritime security while delivering real benefits for its people.

“It stands as a practical demonstration of what Australia and Solomon Islands can achieve together and provides a sovereign asset for Solomon Islands to use to strengthen its security.”

The Albanese Government has marked a significant milestone in Australia-Japan defence collaboration with successful field trials of a co-developed high-energy laser in South Australia.

The Boobook project has broken new ground as the first co-development project between Australian and Japanese defence industries, demonstrating deepening cooperation between our two nations.

The collaboration between Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG), Mitsubishi Electric Australia (MEA) and Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (MELCO) has seen the successful field testing of a world-first prototype laser system.

The laser system draws on more than 20 years of research and development by DSTG to deliver a cutting-edge technology with the potential to enhance surveillance capability.

Boobook supports the implementation of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s 4 May announcement, which committed to enhanced defence and security cooperation.

The successful Boobook trials conducted at Cultana Training Area and DSTG Edinburgh have provided valuable insights into the system’s design and technical requirements, informing the next phases of development and commercialisation.

The testing also demonstrated Australia and Japan’s ability to jointly develop advanced technologies and conduct multinational testing on Australian ranges. This paves the way for ongoing defence industrial collaboration on advanced defence capabilities between our two countries.

As the project progresses, MEA is establishing new facilities at Rydalmere, New South Wales in preparation for large-scale manufacturing within Australia.

This $70 million investment will become the home of a new MEA Defence Division, supporting future manufacturing opportunities in Australia and strengthening access to advanced Mitsubishi Electric defence technologies for the Australian Defence Force into the future.

Minister for Defence Industry, the Hon. Pat Conroy MP:

“This project demonstrates close collaboration with Japan, to develop cutting-edge technologies that address real capability needs for the Australian Defence Force.

“Boobook is more than a technology project. It is a practical example of the growing defence industrial partnership between Australia and Japan, as well as the opportunities that partnership creates for both nations.

“The establishment of Mitsubishi Electric Australia’s new defence facilities in Rydalmere is a strong vote of confidence in Australia’s defence industrial future and will support new opportunities for advanced manufacturing, technology transfer and workforce growth.”

The Australian Greens have demanded that Labor go back to the drawing board on aged care assessments after a damning Four Corners investigation revealed that the government’s new assessment tool had been designed to under-assess need and priority.

The controversial Integrated Assessment Tool (IAT), which uses an algorithm to automate decision-making, has repeatedly been shown to provide assessments that have left thousands of people without an appropriate level of funding for their care needs.

Last month Labor suffered a humiliating parliamentary defeat when the Senate passed a bill co-sponsored by the Greens to restore human override to the IAT.

Now, a Four Corners investigation has revealed the test has been designed in a way that systemically under-assesses older people with mental health conditions, cognition issues and frailty. Most of the questions asked in the test are not even considered in the outcome.

This tool was not live tested, and the department has been unable to name any clinical experts that validated it. 

Senator Penny Allman-Payne, Greens Spokesperson for Older People:

“The Four Corners investigation is yet another damning indictment of Labor’s reckless aged care reforms. 

“Labor’s aged care assessment tool is broken, and the problems go beyond a simple fix. The IAT needs to be scrapped.

“This is the same tool that has denied essential funding to older Australians with lifelong degenerative conditions like MND and dementia.

“This tool was untested, fatally flawed and implemented with the absolute minimum accountability – all in the name of cutting costs.

“Labor must replace the IAT with a new assessment tool that centres the human rights and care needs of older people.

“Instead of penny-pinching from older people and withholding essential care, Labor could choose to properly fund aged care by taxing gas corporations and making billionaires and the 1% pay their fair share.”

The Australian Greens have called Labor captured and the Liberals weak for their dirty deal on cowardly and careless gambling reform.

The Greens say the Albanese Labor government’s lack of political will to take on big gambling corporations and vested interests is leaving Australians worse off.

This major party stitch up will see Australians continue to be bombarded by gambling ads online and hundreds of thousands of vulnerable people exposed to devastating gambling harm.

Larissa Waters, Leader of the Australian Greens:

“Anthony Albanese and the entire Labor party should hang their heads in shame today. Our Prime Minister has handed Australian screens over to predatory gambling companies.

“Generations of Australians who have suffered through the gambling industry’s bombardment will have the relentless ads follow them. How dare Anthony Albanese leave your living rooms, cars, YouTube, and even your kids Spotify playlists unsafe?  

“This cowardly Labor-Liberal deal means Anthony Albanese chose to protect his party’s gambling donations rather than delivering evidence-based policy that protects people.

“It is a government’s job to look after people, but when Labor has the opportunity they bend the knee to wealthy donors, side with big corporations and leave Australians behind. 

“Corporate donations are the fatal flaw of the Labor party. When they come under lobbyist pressure they choose their donors over people.

“A vote for Labor is a vote for the vested interests they protect. A vote for the Greens is a vote for people, not profits.”

Sarah Hanson-Young, Greens communications spokesperson:

“Anthony Albanese and Angus Taylor have failed the moral test to protect Australian families.

“Labor has proven itself to be captured by the gambling industry while the Liberals are just weak.

“These laws are designed to fail. Gambling companies are the winners while once again Australian families are the biggest losers.

“This bill is so convoluted it looks less like gambling reform and more like a protection racket for the gambling industry. It is full of loopholes, delays and complexity designed to ensure it’s never actually used.

“Angus Taylor has shown that he is a weak leader. He is a pushover who has sold out for nothing more than the veneer of action.

“They have turned a straightforward reform into a dog’s breakfast of exemptions, carve-outs and red tape. That is not an accident; it’s how you protect the gambling industry from real accountability.

“The Murphy Report was very clear, as was the evidence to the Senate inquiry: to reduce gambling harm a full ban on all forms of advertising for online gambling is needed.

“These piecemeal and confusing amendments will not work and will not stop the predatory practices of gambling companies. It’s a dog’s breakfast of a deal that gives the appearance of reform while ensuring the industry can keep doing business as usual.

“Under these laws, gambling companies will still be able to groom vulnerable people and problem gamblers with inducements, they will still be able to flood the internet with harmful advertising and they will still not have any oversight from a national regulator.

“This bill allows online ads to continue. Addictive social media platforms will be able to continue pushing addictive gambling products to users. Social media platforms will continue to be able to use the data they have on users to personally target people directly with gambling ads and promotions.

“The community have made it abundantly clear that they want and expect real action to remove gambling ads. The government has failed.

“Both the Labor and the Liberal parties have chosen to prioritise the profits of the gambling companies over the interests of the community. It’s not hard to see why when the gambling industry has spent millions giving inducements in the form of political donations to both the Labor and the Liberal parties.

“The parliament had the opportunity to enact generational reform that would protect Australian children and families from the predatory behaviour of the gambling industry and instead they have backed their mates in the gambling industry.”