Australia’s Parliament passes gun laws, debates anti-hate speech bill

MELBOURNE: Australia’s Parliament on Tuesday passed new gun restrictions and began debating draft

anti-hate speech laws proposed after two shooters killed 15 people at a Jewish festival in Sydney last month in an attack that authorities say was inspired by the Islamic State group.

The gun laws create new restrictions on gun ownership and create a government-funded buyback programme to compensate people forced to hand in their firearms.

Anti-hate speech laws would enable hate groups that don’t fit Australia’s definition of a terrorist organisation, such as Islamist group Hizb ut-Tahrir, to be outlawed. Hizb ut-Tahrir is already outlawed by some countries.

The government had initially planned a single bill, but separated the issues into two bills introduced to the House of Representatives on Tuesday.

Both bills passed the House, and the firearms bill had been passed by the Senate by late Tuesday.

The anti-hate speech bill is expected to pass into law by Wednesday.

Earlier Tuesday, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke told

Parliament that alleged gunmen Sajid Akram, 50, and his 24-year-old son Naveed Akram wouldn’t have been allowed to possess guns under the proposed laws.

The father, who was shot dead by police during the attack on Jewish worshippers during Hanukkah celebrations at Bondi Beach on December 14, legally owned the guns used.

His son, who was wounded, has been charged with dozens of offenses, including 15 counts of murder and one of committing a terrorist act over the attack.

Burke said that the Indian-born father would have been barred from gun ownership under the proposed laws because he wasn’t an Australian citizen.