// Preface //
The Bondi Beach terror attacker has regained consciousness, charged with multiple serious crimes! This bloody tragedy has once again forced Australia to confront a deadly loophole. The National Cabinet has acted swiftly, comprehensively tightening gun laws!

#01: Terror Attacker Has Woken, Faces 59 Charges

The bloody Sunday at Bondi Beach has shaken all of Australia. Flowers cover the square outside Bondi Pavilion. The Prime Minister, state leaders, and ordinary citizens stand united in silence, mourning the innocent victims.

Today, police formally charged 24-year-old Naveed Akram, alleged to be responsible for the atrocity, with a staggering 59 offences.

Police allege that on Sunday evening, Naveed and his 50-year-old father, Sajid Akram, opened fire on a crowd gathered for the 'Chanukah By The Sea' Jewish festival event at the iconic Bondi Beach location. Chaos erupted instantly, with multiple people shot and falling to the ground.

Police subsequently intervened. Sajid was fatally shot during the confrontation, while Naveed was seriously injured, hospitalized, and remained in a coma. He only regained consciousness on Tuesday, allowing police to formally charge him, with the full list of charges announced on Wednesday afternoon.

According to the police statement, Naveed Akram faces 59 criminal charges in total, including:

1 count of committing a terrorist act

15 counts of murder

40 counts of 'wounding or causing grievous bodily harm with intent to murder'

He is also charged with illegally discharging a firearm with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, publicly displaying a prohibited symbol of a terrorist organization, and placing explosives in or near a building with intent to cause injury, among other offences.

The case was briefly mentioned in an online bail court on Wednesday afternoon. Naveed did not appear and did not apply for bail. The court formally refused bail.

He was represented by senior barrister Ken Buckman, appointed by Legal Aid.

As the case enters the judicial process, it is widely expected to be a lengthy and highly scrutinized trial.

This case not only sets a grim record for one of the most severe violent attacks in Australia in recent years but also thrusts issues of gun control, counter-terrorism legislation, and public safety back to the centre of national discourse.

#02: National Cabinet Gun Crackdown, Non-Citizens Banned from Owning Firearms

Beyond the mourning, a sharper question has been placed on the national agenda: How could a person who was not an Australian citizen legally possess up to six firearms, ultimately leading to this tragedy?

The Australian National Cabinet has reached a consensus to tighten gun laws nationwide, explicitly banning non-citizens from owning firearms. A "gun crackdown" involving systems, regulation, and public safety has thus begun!

The Bondi attack provoked such a strong political and social reaction not only due to its brutality but because it exposed deep, systemic flaws.

The attacker, Sajid Akram, had been living in Australia on a Resident Return Visa since 2001 and obtained a firearms licence for "recreational hunting" in 2015. Under existing laws, this licence was sufficient for him to legally own high-powered rifles, weapons ultimately used in the violent event causing multiple casualties.

More alarmingly, risk signals during the licence approval process failed to prevent his access to guns. Sajid's son had been investigated by the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) in 2019. In theory, such national security-related background information should have been a crucial factor in the firearms review. However, whether relevant authorities were aware of and used this intelligence remains under investigation.

This fact directly undermines public trust in the perceived strictness of the firearms eligibility assessment process.

Consequently, the National Cabinet swiftly reached a consensus this week: the current firearms system is no longer adequate for contemporary security needs and requires nationwide, systemic reform.

The reform direction not only includes banning non-citizens from owning firearms and restricting the types of legal firearms but also involves re-evaluating the practice where "firearms licences are effectively permanent upon approval," shifting towards more frequent and dynamic review mechanisms.

The Prime Minister clearly stated that a firearms licence should not be seen as a permanent right but as a special permission requiring ongoing assessment.

#03: Gun Numbers 'Out of Control', Exposed Data Raises Concerns

If the Bondi incident lit the fuse for reform, then the data now exposed further intensifies societal concern about gun issues.

In just one postcode area, the number of registered firearms is close to 10,000, covering suburbs including Camden, Oran Park, and Spring Farm.

Data from the NSW Firearms Registry also disclosed cases of individuals holding the most guns in the Sydney area:

In the 2036 postcode area, one licence holder possesses 295 firearms.

Around Punchbowl and Roselands, one licence holder has 226 guns.

In the Northern Beaches, another individual holds 207 firearms.

These numbers further highlight the real-world challenges within the current gun regulation framework.

NSW Premier Chris Minns stated bluntly that not everyone needs these "weapons of mass destruction that have no practical use in the community."

Under such public pressure, the National Cabinet agreed to advance several key reforms.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese promised to accelerate the establishment of the National Firearms Register.

Proposed as early as April 2024, gun registration in Australia is currently managed separately by state and territory governments. The planned national system, accessible to police for unified queries, is expected to be operational by mid-2028.

Albanese stated: "This is one of the most important reforms we are pursuing, and we will implement it as quickly as possible."

Simultaneously, state governments are also preparing faster legislative action. Premier Minns indicated on Tuesday that he was still finalising details of the previously promised gun crackdown package.

The NSW government does not rule out recalling parliament before the end of the year to pass stricter gun legislation, limiting the types of firearms that can be legally owned and raising application thresholds. He emphasised that he hopes the legislation and reforms to be submitted to parliament will bring about substantive change.

#04: Australia May Follow New Zealand and Canada's Lead, Upgrading Police Firepower

Following the national shockwaves from the Bondi attack, whether NSW Police need to "upgrade their firepower" has become a focus of public debate.

Reports indicate NSW Police Minister Mal Lanyon explicitly stated that police do not rule out following the lead of countries like New Zealand and Canada by equipping frontline officers with more powerful long guns (long arms) to address evolving security situations.

In an interview, Lanyon pointed out that police are continuously reviewing their existing weapon configurations. When asked "whether it is possible to equip police cars or local stations with stronger weapons than handguns, a practice already common in New Zealand and Canada," Lanyon responded: "Of course. We are constantly assessing and reviewing the types of weapons police are equipped with."

He emphasised that the police's primary mission is to ensure both officer safety and community public safety simultaneously.

For a long time, Australian police have primarily been equipped with handguns because law enforcement scenarios mostly involve close contact. However, with the rise of extreme events and sudden violent risks, whether traditional configurations are sufficient has become a question that must be squarely faced.

Lanyon revealed that NSW Police have recently begun equipping some tactical officers with long guns to enhance their ability to respond to high-risk incidents. In the future, police will continue discussions with the Police Association on whether to expand such configurations.

He stated that, as Police Minister, he has a responsibility to ensure officers are "as safe as possible" when performing their duties, thereby better protecting the community.

Finally
From Port Arthur to Bondi, Australian society repeatedly re-examines the relationship between "guns and safety" in the wake of tragedy.

After the flowers and mourning, Australia is attempting to use a systemic response to offer the public a safer future.