The parents of two Queensland police officers killed in the Wieambilla ambush have urged governments to back a national gun buyback as the Crisafulli government prepares to opt out of the federal scheme and legislate its own response next month.
In a statement issued on behalf of the families of Constables Rachel McCrow and Matthew Arnold, Rachel McCrow’s mother Judy McCrow said they fully support Canberra’s plan to tighten gun laws and launch a buyback, calling for an end to political bickering and faster progress on a national firearms register.
The push comes after federal parliament passed new gun control laws on Tuesday, alongside tougher anti hate measures in response to the Bondi Beach terror attack on 14 December 2025 that killed 15 people.
Under the gun reforms, the Commonwealth is setting up a national buyback framework and tightening checks linked to gun licensing including greater use of intelligence information and stronger import controls for firearms and related items.
Queensland, however is expected to reject the buyback participation model, despite the families call and the federal government’s argument that gun laws are only as effective as the weakest jurisdiction.
The Commonwealth has said it wants a 50:50 cost split with states responsible for collecting surrendered firearms, processing claims and paying compensation while the Australian Federal Police would handle destruction.
That design is central to the political stoush because it leaves state budgets exposed to the scale of participation and the types of weapons that end up covered, even as the Commonwealth frames the scheme as a national security measure.
The Queensland Police Service’s Weapons Licensing figures show 1,154,314 registered weapons in the state as at 5 January 2026 held by 209,512 licensees.
The families’ statement also points to the state’s existing vulnerabilities. A coronial inquest into the Wieambilla killings recommended the Queensland government consider mandatory mental health assessments for weapons licence applicants, alongside broader improvements to systems and information sharing.
Queensland’s government has not released detail on the alternative package it plans to introduce beyond saying cabinet has resolved to bring legislation in the first sitting week of parliament beginning 10 February.
Labor’s opposition leader Steven Miles has accused the government of undermining a national approach and warned Queensland could become a destination for high risk firearms and offenders if other jurisdictions tighten faster.
