The ACT (non)announcement

The Commonwealth’s National Gun Buyback Scheme is moving ahead, with New South Wales the first jurisdiction to sign on. The ACT Government has publicly indicated it is “very forward leaning on the buyback” and intends to sign up as soon as possible.

This update sets out what we know so far, what is happening in NSW, and what it is likely to mean for ACT Licence Holders.

National Party Conference

Members of the SSAA ACT Inc Executive had the opportunity on 16 August 2026 to attend the Federal National Party Conference in Canberra and engage directly with National Party MPs and Senators, as well as with other members of the shooting community from the ACT and NSW.

Media Release – 16 August 2026

New South Wales is now the only jurisdiction implementing the National Gun Buyback. With a clear majority of states having declined it, SSAA ACT Inc. urges the ACT Government to make any participation a question of ACT-specific evidence – not National Cabinet alignment.

Toughest Laws? A Vanguard of One.

New South Wales has become the first — and, for now, the only — jurisdiction to begin the National Gun Buyback: up to 274,000 firearms, 50,000 owners, hundreds of millions of dollars. It is billed as “nationwide” reform. Most of the country has declined it.

Follow Japan?

Follow Japan? The Figures Point the Other Way.
An 11 August opinion piece in The Point argues Australia should adopt Japan gun laws. But its headline comparison, examined on total lethal harm, undercuts its own conclusion – and its shadowy gun lobby is named, as lawful and disclosed, by the very report it cites.

Where the Case Now Stands

Two independent, government-commissioned processes have now questioned the evidence base for numerical caps, and five of eight jurisdictions have declined to adopt them. This update sets out the six arguments SSAA ACT Inc is making against compulsory caps and acquisition — each one on the public record, and each one sourced.

The Buyback Stalls

As at late July 2026, the Commonwealth national gun buyback has all but stalled New South Wales is the only jurisdiction to have firmly committed, the ACT is still deciding, and a majority have declined. Five of eight have also declined ownership caps. This update sets out where the reforms now stand, why the national consistency argument has collapsed, and the legal questions that follow for the National Firearms Agreement.

The Same Message, Three Times

The Point — the Australia Institute’s media platform — has run three firearms articles in nine weeks. One blames the victim of a violent home invasion for owning firearms. One tells 150,000 Victorian licence holders they are probably lying about why they own them. A third repeats a false claim about NSW gun numbers to argue Victoria is an outlier. Two writers, one platform, one message. SSAA ACT has analysed all three and is lodging a formal complaint.

Reading the Evidence

A recent Queensland opinion piece is a useful reminder to read the sources, not just the headlines. This update sets out what holds up when we do — and a pattern in how the case for tighter controls is built that members should know about.