The American Left often points to Australia as an example of success for strict gun-control laws. The American Right uses Australia as an example of how gun control puts people at risk. After the Bondi Beach massacre, the argument should be over ... but it's not.
Just hours after a father-son team targeted Jews on Hanukkah, Australia PM Anthony Albanese called for even stricter controls of firearms – after news emerged that both terrorists had licenses to own the weapons they used to murder 15 people:
Australia vowed stricter gun laws on Monday as it began mourning victims of its worst mass shooting in almost 30 years, in which police accused a father-and-son duo of killing 15 people at a Jewish celebration at Sydney’s famed Bondi Beach.
The incident has raised questions whether Australia’s gun laws, among the toughest in the world, need overhaul, with police saying the older suspect had held a firearms license since 2015, along with six registered weapons.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his cabinet agreed to strengthen gun laws and work on a national firearms register to tackle aspects such as the number of weapons permitted by gun licenses, and how long the latter are valid.
It's already difficult for law-abiding Australians to keep firearms, let alone use them in self-defense. The incident itself showed why self-defense is necessary, as one witness recalled that police simply "froze":
One of the survivors of the terror attack at a Bondi Beach Hanukkah celebration said four police officers just “froze” during the 20-minute rampage on Sunday that killed 11.
Eyewitness Shmulik Scuri said he was with his family when the two suspects began firing at the crowd of worshippers from a nearby bridge.
“For 20 minutes. They shoot, shoot. Change magazines. And just shoot,” the witness told reporters. ...
It wasn’t until a good Samaritan, a local fruit seller, disarmed one of the terrorists that police appeared to return fire, taking out one of the shooters, video shows.
As gun-rights advocates often say: When seconds count, police are just minutes away. That isn't the fault of police; it's the nature of living in a free society rather than a police state. In the US, however, police intervene more forcefully when they do arrive than police reportedly did in this situation. Disarming the citizenry has made law enforcement soft, which leaves the field open for terrorists to do much more damage.
That brings us back to the shooters. Tom Bevan asks the right question:
How does a 24-year old Muslim male who is known to the government for being affiliated with ISIS get to possess not one, but SIX firearms, in a country where guns are essentially banned?
— Tom Bevan (@TomBevanRCP) December 15, 2025
Yes indeed, that is the real question in this massacre, at least in terms of gun control. While Australia's leftist government disarmed its populace, it licensed a suspected terror affiliate to carry firearms:
The father had six firearms licensed to him, which were found at the scene and used in the attack, according to police. He was eligible for a firearms license for recreational hunting and was a member of a gun club, said New South Wales Police Force Commissioner Mal Lanyon.
The son had been investigated by Australia’s domestic intelligence agency for six months starting in October 2019, according to Albanese.
He was examined because of his connections with two people who were later jailed, said Albanese, who didn’t share further details about the associations.
The agency at the time didn’t find evidence that the man was radicalized or planning any violent or antisemitic act. He wasn’t on a watchlist, according to Albanese.
Another great moment for law enforcement, it seems. For the rest of the Australian populace, the default presumption is that firearms would be used with malice. For the family whose son had already come under suspicion for connections to terrorism, the presumption was that their use of firearms would be benign. Five stars, no notes at all.
In fairness, though, Albanese isn't focusing solely on gun control. He also reminds Australians that the real danger is ... wait for it ...
🚨 WTF?! After Islamic terrorists KILLED 15 people in Australia, the prime minister warns about "right-wing extremist groups"
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) December 15, 2025
You've GOT to be kidding me.
If the threat was right-wingers, trust me, YOU'D KNOW. pic.twitter.com/fB7JYUewue
The American Left uses Australia as an example of successful gun control. The American Right uses Australia as a cautionary tale. Perhaps the cautionary tale extends to the absolute moral idiocy that either accompanies or results from the forcible disarming of an entire nation, along with the cowardice and dishonesty necessary in the aftermath.
