The New South Wales Liberals have pledged to freeze the state's gun buyback program and eliminate ownership limits for farmers if elected next year, marking a sharp reversal on legislation they supported less than one year ago following the Bondi Beach terror attack on December 14, 2025. The party says the changes would depend on the results of a commission of inquiry and stakeholder feedback.
NSW was the first state to sign up to the national gun buyback promised after the Bondi attack. The state Liberals voted with the government in support of gun caps and a buyback last year, but now the party is vowing to scrap the caps and freeze the buyback entirely.
Targeting Real Threats
NSW opposition leader Kellie Sloane defended the policy shift, saying the original bipartisan support came with conditions. "In the aftermath of [the terror attack at] Bondi, we offered bipartisanship support, but it was conditional on feedback from stakeholders and if we saw any unintended consequences, we should get back to the drawing board," she said. Ms Sloane said she found it "entirely offensive" that people would criticise her for coming up with what she described as a better plan.
She emphasized a fundamental distinction between law-abiding gun owners and criminal networks. "While we spent hundreds of millions of dollars taking guns off of law abiding citizens, we are failing to recognise the real threat in our communities and we just can't afford to do that," Ms Sloane said. She added, "An elected Liberals-Nationals government would have a commission of inquiry to look at gun reform to make sure we are targeting the terrorists, we're targeting organised crime, we are taking guns out of dangerous hands."
Government Pushback
NSW Police Minister Yasmin Catley described the move as a backflip by the state Liberal party. "We know that after Bondi, [the NSW Liberals] stood up and they voted for strong gun laws. Months later, they're walking away from that decision," she said. Ms Catley added, "We know that One Nation wants weaker gun laws. Now the Liberals and Nationals are following them down that road. New South Wales cannot afford a Coalition that lets One Nation write its policy on guns. The safety of our community is too important for that."
Sydney's south and south-west have borne the brunt of a spate of tit-for-tat violence linked to underworld tensions over the past 18 months, with innocent parties falling victim to bungled operations. The issue has become hot political fodder in about six months out from the NSW state election, with Ms Sloane repeatedly accusing the Labor government of losing control of Sydney streets.
Mounting Electoral Pressure
The state government this week introduced legislation to parliament aimed at targeting criminal networks and bolstering police powers to disrupt underworld groups. Under the reforms, young people charged with some offences linked to organised crime would be tried or sentenced as adults in the district or supreme courts, where they face tougher maximum penalties.
The embattled Liberals face multiple challenges heading into the election. This week, the anti-corruption commission is hearing from one of Ms Sloane's most senior parliamentary colleagues as part of a high-profile probe into the actions of a right-wing Liberal party faction. The investigation has cast a pall on the Liberals' election campaign. In another blow, Liberal frontbencher James Griffin this month announced he would not seek re-election for the seat of Manly, which has been held by the Liberals for almost 20 years.
Ms Sloane was asked to respond to reports an anonymous MP described the NSW Liberal party as "sleepwalking to defeat." She said, "I'm not going to comment on an anonymous, unattributed quotes."
The Liberals must also contend with growing support for One Nation, with Premier Chris Minns conceding the party was perhaps Labor's biggest threat. He told parliament earlier this week, "If the government falls in March of next year, it's likely to be a One Nation-led government." He added, "That's the grim numbers as we're looking at it."
Why This Matters:
The Liberal policy shift reflects a fundamental tension in post-attack governance: whether to focus enforcement resources on law-abiding citizens or criminal networks. The party's proposal to redirect hundreds of millions of dollars from buyback programs toward targeting organized crime and terrorism addresses legitimate questions about resource allocation and effectiveness. With Sydney experiencing 18 months of underworld violence affecting innocent bystanders, the debate centers on whether broad ownership restrictions or focused criminal enforcement better serves public safety. The political stakes are significant, with the anti-corruption probe weakening Liberal credibility while One Nation's rise fragments the center-right vote. The outcome will determine whether NSW pursues expansive gun control or targeted criminal justice measures, with fiscal and security implications extending beyond the state's borders.