Australia state parliament to push through stricter gun laws after shooting

The parliament of Australia's New South Wales state was recalled on Monday to vote on proposed new laws that would impose major curbs on firearm ownership, ban the display of terror symbols and restrict protests, following the mass shooting on Sydney's Bondi Beach last week.



The state parliament was recalled for two days to debate legislation which would cap the number of firearms a person can own at four, or up to 10 for certain groups, such as farmers.



Although Australia has some of the toughest gun control laws in the world after a 1996 shooting that killed 35 people, the Bondi shooting ‌has highlighted what authorities say are gaps.



In New South Wales, the most populous state, there is currently no limit to firearm ownership if the reason can be justified to police, and there are more than 70 people in the state who own more than 100 guns, a police firearms registry shows. One licence holder has 298 guns.



One of the alleged Bondi gunmen, Sajid Akram, 50, was shot dead by police and owned six firearms. His 24-year-old son Naveed Akram has been charged with 59 offences, including murder and terrorism, according to police.