In December last year, in the wake of the Bondi terror attack, Anthony Albanese promised the biggest national gun buyback since Port Arthur.

He wanted states and territories to agree to new gun laws by March and legislate them by July. But that first deadline has passed – and the national response is fracturing.

Queensland and the Northern Territory are refusing the buyback, Tasmania is rejecting a cap on the number of firearms a person can own, and a national register is not expected to be running until 2028.

The Royal Commission into Antisemitism has also weighed in, saying Australia should waste no time in implementing the buyback.

So today, 30 years after Port Arthur, we’re returning to our January episode – where Nicole Johnston speaks with Ebony Bennett from the Australia Institute on why Australia has more guns than ever, and why reform is still so difficult.

This episode was originally published in January, 2026.

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Guest: Deputy director at The Australia Institute, Ebony Bennett 

Photo: AAP Image/Joel Carrett