Australias gun control consensus frays after Bondi Beach attack

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SYDNEY, Dec 19 - When a gunman murdered 35 people in Tasmania in 1996, Australias political leaders united to implement some of the Wests toughest gun laws. Nearly three decades later, after 15 people were killed at a Jewish festival at Bondi Beach, consensus is more elusive.

Prime Minister Anthony Albaneses call for tighter gun controls is meeting resistance from ascendant right-wing populists and some mainstream conservatives, revealing a more-polarised landscape that contrasts with Australias response to its deadliest mass shooting.

Rather than a rally around the flag moment of national unity, Albanese faces distrust and unhappiness, said Simon Jackman, a political scientist at the University of Sydney.

Since Sundays attack, conservative figures and ‍some Jewish leaders have ​accused Albanese of failing to adequately address rising antisemitism, posing a defining test for his leadership. Albanese, whose centre-left Labor party enjoys a commanding parliamentary majority, has defended his record on antisemitism and ‍announced additional measures targeting hate speech.

The mass shooting at a Hanukkah celebration occurred as right-wing populists have surged in polls by exploiting public concern about immigration and crime. Authorities have said the attack was inspired by Islamic State.

One of the assailants, Sajid Akram, who was shot dead by police, was the legal owner of six guns, officials have said. Akram ​obtained a firearms license in 2023, ​even though his son and alleged accomplice, Naveed Akram, had been scrutinised by intelligence officials in 2019 for his alleged associations with individuals convicted for terrorism offences.

The case has exposed gaps in licensing assessments and information-sharing between agencies that policymakers have said they want to plug.

On Friday, Albanese said his government plans to limit the number of guns an individual can