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Voters have overwhelmingly backed key elements of the NSW Labor government’s response to the Bondi terror attack, with a clear majority supporting tightening of the state’s guns laws and temporary banning of protests after designated terror incidents.
An exclusive Resolve poll conducted on behalf of the Herald has found an overwhelming majority of the 572 respondents backed two of the measures introduced by the Minns government after the shooting deaths of 15 people and injury to dozens more as they celebrated a Hanukkah event in Bondi on December 14.
Voters have backed the Minns government’s response to the Bondi terror attack.Credit: Oscar Colman
The gun reforms and protest laws were part of an omnibus bill that passed through parliament in the early hours of Christmas Eve. MPs were recalled for an extraordinary two-day sitting to debate the legislation, which saw the Coalition split and the Greens abstain.
The reforms included three elements: tightening gun laws, providing the police commissioner with the ability to restrict protests for up to three months after terrorist attacks, and banning the public display of symbols associated with prohibited terrorist organisations like the Islamic State.
Measures outlawing slogans that “incite hatred” such as “globalise the intifada” are currently being considered by a parliamentary committee.
Under the hastily drafted legislation, gun owners would be limited to owning four guns, and farmers and professional shooters would be allowed 10. Australian citizenship would be required for ownership, with a carve-out for New Zealand citizens in specific professional roles.
The bill curtailed access to high-powered firearms and magazine capacity, while removing the ability to appeal rejected firearms license applications through the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT).
Those measures have been broadly backed by respondents to the Resolve poll. More than two-thirds supported the measures, with 44 per cent expressing strong support. Nearly 80 per cent of Coalition voters backed the reforms, despite the Liberals and Nationals splitting over the measures.
Only 16 per cent opposed the laws, and 17 per cent were undecided.
Similarly, 68 per cent of respondents agreed with temporarily banning public protests in the aftermath of the attack, including marches supporting Palestine against Israel. Those figures were even higher in marginal seats, with more than three-quarters agreeing, and nearly one in two strongly agreeing.
Overall, the Minns’ government’s response considered strong by half of respondents, and only 19 per cent said it was weak. One-third were undecided.
Resolve pollster Jim Reed said: “We find strong support for everything the government has proposed or done in the wake of the Bondi massacre, so the premier has read the mood.
“Australians do value freedom of speech and action, but strong support for a temporary ban on anti-Israel protests tells us that they also value good taste and manners.”
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The poll’s findings come as the federal Labor government seeks to push through similar laws after parliament was convened two weeks earlier than scheduled. Anthony Albanese was forced to scrap a core element of his omnibus bill – a proposal to criminalise certain types of hate speech – after support for the legislation dissipated over the weekend.
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