Fighting Antisemitism and Keeping Guns out of the Hands of Terrorists and Criminals Amendment Bill 2026
Plain English Summary
Overview
This bill responds to the December 2025 Bondi Beach terrorist attack by strengthening laws against antisemitism and hate crimes, and significantly tightening firearms controls in Queensland. It introduces new offences for hate expressions and intimidation near places of worship, dramatically increases penalties for weapons offences, bans 3D-printed firearm blueprints, restricts weapons licences to Australian citizens, and expands police powers to disrupt criminal activity.
Who it affects
Faith communities gain stronger protections from hate-motivated conduct and violence. Weapons licence holders face new citizenship requirements and broader criminal history checks. Anyone involved in weapons offences faces substantially higher penalties, including life imprisonment for trafficking.
Fighting antisemitism and protecting faith communities
Expands bans on hate symbols to cover terrorist organisations, creates a new offence for prohibited hate expressions, and strengthens protections for people attending religious worship including new offences for intimidation near places of worship and increased penalties for disrupting services or damaging religious buildings.
- New offence for publicly reciting or displaying prohibited hate expressions — up to 150 penalty units or 2 years imprisonment
- Symbols of prescribed terrorist organisations now banned under the prohibited symbols framework
- New offence for intimidating people entering or leaving places of worship — up to 3 years imprisonment
- Assaulting a minister of religion penalty increased from 2 to 5 years; wilful damage to a place of worship carries up to 7 years
Tougher weapons penalties and new offences
Imposes the strongest maximum penalties in Australia for a range of weapons offences. Creates new offences for recklessly discharging a weapon towards a building or vehicle and for possessing or distributing 3D-printed firearm blueprints. A new preparatory offence targets those planning acts of serious violence.
- Unlawful weapons trafficking now carries life imprisonment
- Recklessly discharging a weapon towards a building or vehicle — up to 16 years, or 20 years if hate-motivated or linked to organised crime
- Possessing or distributing 3D-printed firearm blueprints — up to 500 penalty units or 10 years imprisonment
- New offence for planning or preparing an act likely to cause death or grievous bodily harm — up to 14 years imprisonment
- Stealing a firearm penalty increased from 10 to 14 years imprisonment
Weapons licensing and storage
Restricts weapons licences to Australian citizens, with exceptions for sport shooters and those with occupational needs. Broadens criminal history checks to include spent convictions, non-recorded convictions and withdrawn charges. Weapons storage now requires solid steel containers only.
- Australian citizenship required for a weapons licence, with exceptions for sport shooting and occupational needs
- Spent convictions, non-recorded convictions and withdrawn charges can now be considered in licence applications
- Previous licensing decisions validated retrospectively following a Court of Appeal ruling
- Solid timber storage containers no longer permitted — solid steel required for category A, B, C, E and M weapons
Firearm Prohibition Orders
Overhauls the Firearm Prohibition Order scheme by consolidating all FPO powers with the Commissioner of Police. Introduces recognition of interstate FPOs and expands police search powers to people found in the company of someone subject to an FPO.
- All FPOs now issued solely by the Commissioner of Police, not courts
- FPOs can last up to 10 years for adults and 5 years for children
- Interstate FPOs recognised and enforceable in Queensland
- Police can search people in the company of an FPO subject if they reasonably suspect a weapons offence
Expanded police powers
Broadens controlled operations to include disrupting or preventing criminal activity, lowers thresholds for surveillance device warrants from 7-year to 3-year imprisonment offences, and formalises intelligence sharing between Queensland Police and the Australian Defence Force.
- Police controlled operations can now be authorised to frustrate (disrupt or prevent) crime, not just gather evidence
- Threshold for controlled operations and surveillance device warrants lowered from 7-year to 3-year imprisonment offences
- Australian Defence Force added as an approved agency for QPS information sharing
- Additional weapons offences added to the Youth Justice Act's Adult Crime, Adult Time provisions
Bill Story
The journey of this bill through Parliament, including debate and recorded votes.
▸Introduced10 Feb 2026View Hansard
Introduced the bill as Minister for Police and Emergency Services. Outlined the bill's response to the Bondi Beach terrorist attack, including measures to combat antisemitism, ban terrorist symbols and hateful expressions, protect faith communities, increase penalties for firearms offences, introduce new offences for drive-by shootings and 3D-printed firearm blueprints, and strengthen firearm prohibition orders and weapons licensing.
“This bill represents a decisive step forward in responding to the scourge of anti-Semitism, protecting community safety and ensures that guns are kept out of the hands of terrorists and criminals.”— 2026-02-10View Hansard
▸Committee10 Feb 2026View Hansard
Referred to Justice, Integrity and Community Safety Committee