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The initiative aimed to result in the collection and elimination of hundreds of thousands of “excess, newly prohibited, and illegal” firearms.
However, four months later, despite the funding bill clearing the Senate, only New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory have agreed to participate.
This situation poses a significant hurdle for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s ambitious legislation since he acknowledged that the nation’s gun laws are “only as robust as the weakest state.”
Queensland and the Northern Territory have resisted the buyback plan following the government’s proposal for a shared payment approach.
Both regions are opposed to imposing restrictions on the number of firearms an individual can possess.
Albanese hit back and said Crisafulli’s rejection of the scheme was not “in the interests of Queenslanders or the nation”.
Queensland has the second-highest rate of gun ownership in Australia, while the biggest concentration of firearms is in NSW.
NT Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro said she would not support the buyback scheme if the territory was forced to fund it.
“I make no apology for putting the best interests of Territorians first,” Finocchiaro said in January.
In Victoria, Premier Jacinta Allan has remained non-commital as she awaits a review into the state’s current gun laws.
And South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas is also yet to commit to a buyback.
Malinauskas reportedly assured gun lobbyists that he had no plans to tighten the state’s gun control ahead of the March state election, The Guardian reports.
Western Australia kicked off its own voluntary firearm buyback scheme, which saw over 83,000 guns surrendered by January 20.
The Tasmanian government is also implementing its own voluntary buyback scheme.
Obstinance from the four states who have either opposed or avoided committing to the federal government’s scheme will block a key part of Labor’s sweeping gun reforms introduced after 15 innocent people were killed on December 15.
The PM had asked states and territories to commit to the new gun law reforms no later than March.
He committed to legislation by July and proposed that all states and territories be responsible for the collection, processing and payment of surrendered firearms, with the government funding costs on a 50:50 basis.
The Australian Federal Police will be responsible for the destruction of the guns.
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