In the wake of recent terror attacks and public disorder, governments in New South Wales and Canberra have backed tougher controls on both firearms and protests, framing them as necessary steps to protect the community. Civil liberties groups and shooting organisations, however, warn that the main impact will fall on licensed gun owners and ordinary Australians at demonstrations, rather than on the small number of people actually planning violence.
Proposed changes in NSW would cap most licence holders at four firearms, tighten licence renewals and expand police powers around demonstrations, including greater discretion to limit protests near sensitive sites and to intervene where religious tension is high. Similar caps have already been pursued in Western Australia, even though existing systems already require background checks, safe storage and regular scrutiny of licence holders, and despite the fact that recent attackers have not typically been drawn from the ranks of competitive shooters or rural farmers. Firearm advocates argue that this approach makes long‑standing, law‑abiding gun owners the easiest group to regulate, while systemic intelligence, mental‑health and policing gaps are harder and more expensive to fix.
The direction on protests is equally contentious. After violent scenes outside a Sydney church in 2024, where dozens of police officers were injured during a riot following a stabbing that authorities described as a terrorist incident, the NSW government explored broader powers to manage or shut down gatherings in the name of public safety. Supporters say those tools are needed to prevent further serious injuries around religious venues; critics respond that they risk blurring the line between proportionate security measures and a broader chilling effect on political speech and peaceful assembly.
These debates sit awkwardly beside the Prime Minister’s own political history. Old footage from his earlier parliamentary career shows Anthony Albanese speaking at a pro‑Palestinian rally, condemning Israeli military actions and appearing alongside protest signage highly critical of Israel. In more recent years, he has taken a different stance on some demonstrations, condemning antisemitic chants at Sydney’s Opera House and calling for one large pro‑Palestine march not to proceed, in the name of lowering tensions. The contrast highlights a tension familiar to many long‑term activists who enter government: once responsible for security and public order, they are often quicker to endorse limits on the kinds of protests they once joined.
Amid these shifts, another practical point is easy to miss. Incidents in which armed offenders have been stopped quickly often involve individuals with extensive experience in civilian shooting disciplines, including training at local gun clubs, rather than elite tactical units alone. For many licensed owners, that reinforces the view that responsible firearms culture can be part of public safety, not just a risk to be regulated away, and that blanket limits may weaken a pool of highly trained citizens who already comply with stringent rules.
Taken together, the current trajectory risks sending a simple message: that the easiest people to manage—licence holders and peaceful marchers—will be the first to feel the full force of new laws, while the small minority intent on violence adapts and looks for gaps elsewhere. A more balanced approach would separate proportionate, intelligence‑led responses to genuine threats from broad caps and protest restrictions, and would acknowledge that the same political class which once used megaphones on the street now bears a heightened responsibility to ensure that security policy does not erode the liberties it previously claimed to defend.
Sources (for your references section)
BBC – “Australian move to fast-track new gun and protest laws …” (NSW caps, protest powers, civil liberties concerns): https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj9ydj7y0vvo
Central News – “Minns to fast-track ‘toughest’ firearms bill post-Bondi” (NSW firearms and protest bill details): https://centralnews.com.au/2025/12/22/minns-to-fast-track-toughest-firearms-bill-post-bondi/
BBC – “Sydney church stabbing was ‘terrorist’ attack, police say” (Wakeley church attack, public disorder context): https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-68823240
ABC News – “Police say 51 officers injured in riot outside Sydney church …” (injured officers and riot details): https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-04-18/nsw-sydney-wakeley-church-bondi-junction-stabbing-update/103738870
ABC News – “Flares at Sydney Opera House pro-Palestine rally” (PM response to protest, calls to abandon march): https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-10-10/pro-palestine-sydney-rally-flares-protest-opera-house-light-up/102954158
Sky News video – “Old footage surfaces of Anthony Albanese at pro-Palestine rally” (archival protest footage): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gRL3AYDAZU
Sky / commentary on Albanese and Palestine activism (background on earlier rallies): https://www.spectator.com.au/2025/08/albaneses-dangerous-dance-with-palestine/
Sky News clip – “‘Lower the temperature’: Albanese comments on ‘appalling’ pro-Palestine protest” (Opera House comments): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rv2MOmVc7I8