Australia Expands Gun Buyback to Canberra After Sydney Attack

Canberra, the capital of Australia, will join a firearms buyback program that the government launched after the December attack during a Jewish holiday in Sydney. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese made the announcement.

In January, Albanese's government passed laws introducing a gun buyback program, stricter controls on the issuance of gun licenses, and measures to combat hate. This followed the attack on 14 December during Hanukkah celebrations at Bondi Beach, in which 15 people were killed.

New South Wales, where Sydney is located, was the first state to join the program, with the buyback due to begin there on 2 November. The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) will now also join. The territory has about 23,000 registered firearms and more than 7,000 license holders. A launch date for the ACT program has not yet been announced.

A father and son are suspected in the Sydney attack. According to police, they were inspired by the terrorist organization Islamic State and used legally obtained powerful firearms.

Australia recorded a record 4.1 million registered firearms last year. The new buyback will be the largest since the one that followed the 1996 Port Arthur massacre, in which 35 people were killed.

(Reuters, lud)