The Great Aussie Gun Grab: Labor's Assault on Law-Abiding Shooters and Why It Won't Stop a Single Criminal, By John Steele
As an Aussie gun owner who's spent years in the bush hunting roos and pigs, and on the range honing my skills with mates, I'm furious about the Labor government's latest push to strip us of our rights. Following the tragic Bondi terror attack in 2025, Labor's rushing through the so-called "Combating Anti-Semitism, Hate, and Extremism Bill 2026." But tucked inside this mishmash of hate speech laws are sweeping changes to our firearms regulations: a national buyback scheme, beefed-up background checks, bans on certain firearm types, and even new offences for just accessing info about guns, ammo, or accessories online. It's a classic gun grab, punishing the innocent while letting crims run wild.
Gun clubs, associations, and everyday shooters like you and me are rightly up in arms. Submissions to the parliamentary inquiry are pouring in, slamming this as overreach that ignores the real problems. In this piece, I'll break down the key criticisms from those submissions, amp them up with some hard truths about why gun control is a farce, and lay out what we can do to fight back. Because if we don't, we'll end up like those poor blokes in Europe — strict laws on paper, but streets exploding with illegal guns and grenades.
1. Forced Sales at Bargain-Basement Prices: Theft by Another NameFirearm Owners United (FOU) nailed it: Any buyback must pay fair market value, or it's just government-sanctioned theft. We're talking high-end hunting rifles, competition guns, and historical pieces that could fetch $2,000 a pop. At that rate, the scheme could cost taxpayers $1.6 billion — your money, folks, funnelled into a bonfire of our property.
But here's the kicker: This isn't about safety; it's about disarming us. Remember the 1996 Port Arthur buyback? It cost a fortune and didn't touch the black market. Criminals don't queue up to hand in their Glocks. This is Labor virtue-signalling while picking our pockets. If they force sales below value, it's a violation of property rights under the Constitution — time to lawyer up and challenge it in court.
2. Criminals Laugh at These Laws — They Already Have the GunsOz Fish and Game called it "collective punishment," and they're spot on. Licensed owners are the most vetted Aussies around — police checks, storage audits, the works. Yet Labor treats us like ticking time bombs while ignoring the real threats: black-market weapons flooding in from overseas.
Thornton Hunting and Outdoors hit the nail on the head: Public safety fails because of government screw-ups in intelligence, underfunded registries, and ignoring domestic violence red flags. Not because Joe Bloggs has a bolt-action .308 for deer. Crims get their gear from smuggling rings, not gun shops. Tightening screws on us won't change that — it's like banning kitchen knives to stop stabbings.
3. Criminalising Knowledge: A Chilling Attack on Free SpeechThe Gympie Pistol Club's submission exposes the insanity of Part 7, Schedule 4: Making it an offence to access or share info on firearm manufacturing, mods, or even reloading data online. Reloading? That's basic safety for handloaders ensuring ammo doesn't blow up your gun!
This isn't stopping terrorists — it's gagging hobbyists, reloaders, and even historians. "Authoritative information" keeps us safe, but Labor assumes malice from a Google search. It's a reversal of innocence until proven guilty, and it won't stop bad actors using VPNs or dark web forums. Worse, it bundles gun owners with extremists, smearing us all. This is straight out of the authoritarian playbook — control info, control the people.
4. Bundling Guns with Hate Speech: A Sneaky Trojan HorseThe Prosperity Institute demands splitting the gun bits from the hate speech laws, and rightly so. This bill's a Frankenstein monster, rushed through to exploit emotions post-Bondi. Broad definitions mean vague enforcement — who's deciding what's "hate" or "extremism"? It opens doors to abuse, targeting pro-gun voices as "extremist" for opposing the bill.
Procedural fairness? Forget it. This is Labor ramming through ideology without debate. We need standalone scrutiny, not this package deal that hides gun grabs behind anti-Semitism measures — no one's against fighting hate, but don't use it as cover to disarm Aussies.
5. Target the Black Market, Not the Blokes at the RangeThe Sporting Shooters' Association of Australia (SSAA) Sydney branch says it best: If it's about violent extremism, go after illicit trafficking and crime networks. Not us. These laws burden law-abiding communities while crims import AKs and pistols unchecked.
Australia's borders are porous — customs seizures are just the tip. Focus on that, not harassing farmers with .22s for rabbits. This scattergun approach dilutes resources; real threats slip through while we're buried in paperwork.
6. Killing Our Sporting Legacy: No More Gold Medals?The ACT Pistol Association warns limiting firearm ownership caps our athletes. Shooting's not just recreation — it's Olympic glory. We've medalled in pistols, rifles, and shotguns at Games worldwide. Capping types or numbers means competitors can't train with the tools they need.
This hits clubs hard: Fewer members, less funding, communities fray. Shooting fosters discipline, mateship, and mental health benefits—stuff Labor ignores in their nanny-state zeal.
7. The Lone Voice of Support: A Foundation Built on Tragedy, But Missing the PointSure, some organisations back it, born from the Port Arthur horror. Respect to them, but their calls for buybacks, import bans, and even banning gun industry donations? It's emotional, not evidence-based. Port Arthur led to reforms that worked because they targeted semis and pumps post-massacre. But today's threats are terror and gangs, not legal owners.
They want a National Firearms Safety Council — fine, if it's balanced, not stacked with anti-gun activists. And banning 3D printing? Tech moves faster than laws; crims will adapt.
The False Promise of Gun Control: Look at Sweden's MessLabor peddles the myth that more control equals less violence — a classic false cause fallacy. They point to our post-1996 drop in mass shootings, but ignore that overall homicide rates were already falling due to better policing and demographics. Correlation is not causation.
Take Sweden: Strictest gun laws in Europe — licenses require purpose, training, and storage like ours. Yet, they've got one of the highest per-capita gun homicide rates on the continent. From 2011 to 2022, gun homicides tripled from 17 to 63. In 2024, firearms were in 49% of lethal violence cases. Shootings peaked at 391 in 2022, dropping to 147 in 2025 after tougher policing, but fatalities held at 43.
And grenades? Sweden's exploding — literally. Gang wars use Balkan war leftovers; 156 explosions in 2023, up from 90 in 2022. Hand grenades go for €1-2 on the black market — cheaper than a coffee. Vulnerable areas see shootings eight times the national rate, fuelled by smuggling and drugs.
Despite bans, illegal guns flood in. Sweden's an outlier: While Europe saw stable or dropping gun violence, theirs soared. Why? Not legal owners — gangs, migration issues, and failed integration. Laws don't touch that. Australia's heading the same way if we ignore root causes: Porous borders, under-resourced cops, mental health crises, and radicalisation.
Real Causes Ignored: It's Not the Guns, It's the SystemThis bill doesn't address jack. Real fixes? Smash smuggling rings with better customs tech and international ops. Fund mental health to spot threats early. Target extremism with community programs, not blanket bans.
Gun violence here is mostly illegal firearms in gang hands. Legal owners commit little crime. Disarming us creates a monopoly for crims, making us sitting ducks.
What Can Aussie Gun Owners Do? Fight Back, Now!Don't sit on your hands — Labor's counting on apathy. Here's your playbook:
Bombard Parliament: Flood submissions to the inquiry (deadline's soon — check aph.gov.au). Email your MP and senators; use templates from FOU or SSAA.
Join the Fight: Sign up with groups like SSAA, FOU, or your local club. Donate, volunteer — strength in numbers.
Petitions and Protests: Start or sign petitions on Change.org or parliament sites. Organise peaceful rallies at state capitals — show we're not extremists, just Aussies defending rights.
Vote Smart: 2026 elections loom. Support pro-gun candidates; hold Labor accountable. Back the candidates who get it.
Legal Challenges: If it passes, fund class actions on property rights or free speech. Precedents exist.
Spread the Word: Share facts on socials, forums, and X. Counter the media spin — use Sweden's stats to debunk the myths.
Prep Personally: Support black-market crackdowns to prove we're on the side of safety.
Fellow shooters, this isn't just about guns — it's our freedom, heritage, and way of life. Labor's gun grab is a knee-jerk reaction that empowers crims and weakens us. Stand tall, speak loud, and let's bury this bill. For our kids, our sports, and our rights — defeat the nanny state!
