Australia's Gun Law Unity Shattered After Bondi Attack
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A deadly mass shooting in 1996 led Australia's politicians to unite behind some of the world's strictest gun control measures. That political consensus has now fractured.
The recent killing of 15 people at a Jewish festival near Bondi Beach has sparked a new debate. But Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's push for tighter gun laws is facing strong opposition.
Resistance comes from rising right-wing populist groups and some mainstream conservatives. This reveals a deeply divided political landscape. The current polarization contrasts sharply with the unified national response seen nearly 30 years ago.
That earlier response followed a gunman's murder of 35 people in Tasmania. The laws enacted then are credited with drastically reducing gun violence and mass shootings in Australia.