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In December last year, in the wake of the Bondi terror attack, Anthony Albanese promised the biggest national gun buyback since Port Arthur.
He wanted states and territories to agree to new gun laws by March and legislate them by July. But that first deadline has passed – and the national response is fracturing.
Queensland and the Northern Territory are refusing the buyback, Tasmania is rejecting a cap on the number of firearms a person can own, and a national register is not expected to be running until 2028.
The Royal Commission into Antisemitism has also weighed in, saying Australia should waste no time in implementing the buyback.
So today, 30 years after Port Arthur, we’re returning to our January episode – where Nicole Johnston speaks with Ebony Bennett from the Australia Institute on why Australia has more guns than ever, and why reform is still so difficult.
This episode was originally published in January, 2026.

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Guest: Deputy director at The Australia Institute, Ebony Bennett
Photo: AAP Image/Joel Carrett
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The Albanese government has moved quickly on the royal commission into antisemitism, accepting all the recommendations from its first report, before public hearings begin.
It comes at a volatile moment in national politics, after the issue was seized on by the opposition in the wake of the Bondi terror attack, and as the issue of the conflicts in Iran, Gaza and Lebanon continue to expose deep division across the country.
Meanwhile, One Nation is trying to turn its momentum in the polls into something more lasting, backed by a private plane from Gina Rinehart and millions in donations from her allies.
Today, ABC Radio Melbourne’s Raf Epstein, on the royal commission, the politics of One Nation, and whether the divisions running through the country are likely to deepen.

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Guest: ABC Radio Melbourne, Raf Epstein
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The first report from the Royal Commission into Antisemitism has landed at a volatile moment.
Australia’s terrorism threat level is already listed as probable, and the war in Iran is adding new pressure to an already fragile security environment that risks fuelling grievances, inflaming extremism, and increasing the risk facing Jewish communities in the wake of the Bondi terror attack.
But the interim report leaves some of the hardest questions for later, including whether warnings before the attack were properly acted on and whether security agencies were on the same page when it came to identifying the threat.
Today, counter-terrorism expert Greg Barton on what the report reveals, and why the threat facing Australia may be growing faster than the systems built to stop it.

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Guest: Counter-terrorism expert at Deakin University, Professor Greg Barton
Photo: AAP Image/Mick Tsikas
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Iran’s war time propaganda videos featuring AI rap music and Lego characters are getting millions of views online.

They praise the Islamic Republic, and mock Trump. But their message is also dark, anti-semitic and leaning into conspiracy theories.

So how has a regime that’s shut down the internet, and isn’t known for its sense of humor captured the zeitgeist so well?
Today, Holly Dagres, an Iranian-American analyst from the Washington Institute on Iran’s viral meme war and what it tells us about the regime.

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Guest: Senior fellow at the Washington Institute, Holly Dagres
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It was a relationship that saw both Donald Trump and Tucker Carlson rise to power.
Now, the Tucker-Trump bromance is officially over.
Conservative media powerhouse Tucker Carlson has offered an apology to voters for backing the president, as their relationship turned sour.
Today, Jason Zengerle, staff writer for the New Yorker, on the end of Tucker and Trump – and what it means for the MAGA movement.

If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.

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Guest: Staff writer for the New Yorker, Jason Zengerle
Photo: EPA/JUSTIN LANE
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.