Monday, 17 August 2026
Member for Northern Tablelands, Brendan Moylan, has labelled the State Government’s firearms buyback half baked, rushed and dangerously misguided, claiming it targets farmers and licensed shooters instead of the extremists and organised criminals who pose the real threat to NSW communities.
Mr Moylan said NSW is the only state to sign up to the scheme, which offers flat payments not matching market value, provides no clarity on ammunition or accessories and has no disclosed NSW Budget allocation.
“People deserve fair and reasonable compensation and what the government has offered is neither fair nor reasonable – it is instead, half baked, rushed and dangerously misguided,” he said.
“These ridiculous laws were rushed through Parliament eight days after the worst terrorist attack on Australian soil, ignoring stakeholders and now we’re seeing the consequences.
“I voted against these new laws back in December, calling out the government’s approach as unfair, unworkable and aimed at the wrong people.”
Mr Moylan said criminals and would be terrorists will not walk into a police station to happily hand over their guns and described the buyback as a political smokescreen for failures on national security.
“This buyback is simply a distraction from the ongoing government inaction and government policy failures,” the MP said.
“On their watch we saw vile protests at the Opera House, escalating violence, and a Prime Minister who initially refused a royal commission into the Bondi attack.
“We are facing a war against hate and extremism and good people across our regional communities are also suffering.
“We must get real and target the actual threat, that is terrorists and organised criminals not farmers and licensed shooters.
“Regional NSW is being forced to pay for Labor’s mistakes, our farmers, our small family run gun shops, the people who actually follow the law, are the ones being punished by this half-baked buyback.
“These communities keep our state fed, keep our industries moving, and they deserve laws that protect them, not policies that cripple their businesses and strip them of the tools they rely on every day.”
MEDIA: | Electorate Office 6772 5552 |
Photo caption: Member for Northern Tablelands Brendan Moylan speaking against the State Government’s gun laws before Christmas in 2025.