Western Sydney ‘the heart of Islamic extremism’, says senior opposition senator

The Albanese government announced a suite of changes to tighten gun laws following the attack, including a national buyback scheme, countrywide standards for ownership and tougher import restrictions to stop owners buying modifications making their firearms more lethal.

Senator McKenzie has joined her Nationals colleagues and bodies representing farmers and recreational shooters in opposing the reforms, arguing they would penalise genuine owners.

Speaking to media on Wednesday, she accused the Prime Minister of refusing to “take on Western Sydney out of fear it could hurt Labor in the polls.

Bondi terror attack suspects Naveed and Sajid Akram are accused of killing 15 people. Picture: NSW Courts / Handout

“Taking guns off law-abiding citizens is not the appropriate response,” she told the ABC.

“John Howard took on his own voters right after Port Arthur with those gun law changes.

“This prime minister … refuses to take on Western Sydney, where the heart of Islamic extremism lives.”

She went on to say Mr Albanese’s “response to this terrorist attack is purely political”, calling it “his great conflict”.

“His refusal to even acknowledge or speak honestly about the reality of how this came to occur is why he’s got his response wrong,” Senator McKenzie said.

“This is pure deflection and by lumping it all in together, it makes it clear, if he was really serious, he would take on his own constituency in Western Sydney and deal with the actual problem at its source.”

It was put to the Prime Minister during a press conference on Tuesday that those who possess firearms “feel they’re being punished for the actions of two terrorists”.

But Mr Albanese said that would not happen and proposed federal changes were

“common sense”.

Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie says Western Sydney is ‘the heart of Islamic extremism’. Picture: NewsWire / Glenn Campbell

“I think Australians would also be surprised to hear the fact that there are more guns in Australia today than there were at the time of the Port Arthur massacre,” Mr Albanese said.

“It is perfectly legitimate for a range of people to have guns and access.

“That’s necessary in a country like ours with agriculture and large properties.

“That’s not the objective here, of interfering, and that’s a matter, frankly, for the states and territories.

“What we are dealing with is Commonwealth responsibility, and I am surprised that anyone in this parliament could walk in and vote against those issues, against a gun buyback, against the provision that says you’ve got to be a citizen, and against the strengthening of our customs to stop the importing of dangerous materials.”

The buyback has sparked resistance from some parts of the country.

Under the scheme, federal and state and territory governments would split the bill on a 50:50 basis.

Tasmania has warned it would cost the cash-strapped state $20m, while the Northern Territory’s chief minister, Lia Finocchiaro, has flatly rejected it would partake.

Queensland has also been hesitant to back it.

‘Biggest attack on free speech’

The gun law reforms are one part of a behemoth omnibus Bill that Mr Albanese has recalled parliament early to pass next week.

The Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism Bill 2026 proposes sweeping changes to security, migration and speech laws.

Among its proposals is a framework for the attorney-general to list “prohibited hate groups”, making membership, recruitment and funding criminal offences.

It would also create aggravated offences for religious or spiritual leaders who incite hatred and tighten visa regulations, allowing cancellations based on public statements that disseminate racial or ethnic superiority.

Free speech advocates have opposed the clampdown, warning the changes are too broad and risk stifling public discourse.

Earlier on Wednesday, Senator McKenzie’s upper house colleague Matt Canavan said he “can’t support these laws”.

Nationals senator Matt Canavan says propose speech laws are ‘the biggest attack on free speech’ in seven decades. Picture: Adam Head

“(It’s) the biggest attack on free speech since Robert Menzies tried to ban the Communist Party in the 1950s,” Senator Canavan told Seven’s Sunrise, adding it was “not the way to deal with the tragic events of Bondi”.

“The government’s facing a lot of criticism, rightly in my view, about its migration policies.

“And there’s no doubt in my mind that under these laws, legitimate criticism of migration policies, integration (in our) country, maintaining the Australian way of life could easily be construed as somehow a racist attack, and you could be prosecuted.”

He put forward the answer was to “enforce the current laws” instead of making new ones.

“These hate preachers, for years now under Labor, have been allowed to say the most abominable things, have been allowed to threaten the lives of Jewish Australians, and there has been no enforcement of our existing laws on the books,” he said.

While the government enjoys a majority in the Lower House, it does not have the numbers in the Senate to pass legislation on its own and must work with either the Coalition or the Greens.

The Coalition has been divided in its response to the Bill, with some indicating they could work with the laws and others, such as senators McKenzie and Canavan, outright ruling themselves out.

The Greens have not said which way they would vote.