Exclusive new polling has delivered a seismic shift in the national security debate, revealing a dramatic collapse in public support for new gun control laws and a powerful voter demand for politicians to instead focus on the rising threat of violent extremism.
Poll Reveals Dramatic Shift in Public Priorities
The survey, conducted for The Townsville Bulletin by YouGov between May 8 and May 15, shows a stunning reversal on firearm policy. When asked if they would support new, stricter national gun laws, only 36 per cent of respondents said yes. This marks a precipitous drop from the 62 per cent support recorded in a similar poll just three years ago.
Conversely, opposition to further firearm restrictions has surged. The poll found that 42 per cent of Australians are now against new gun laws, a significant increase from the 24 per cent recorded in 2021. A further 22 per cent of voters remain undecided on the issue.
This collapse in support coincides with a clear and urgent public directive on where the nation's security focus should lie. The poll presented voters with a list of potential threats and asked them to select the one they believed required the most immediate attention from the federal government.
Violent Extremism Tops List of Security Threats
The results were unequivocal. Violent extremism and terrorism emerged as the dominant concern, selected by 30 per cent of all respondents. This placed it decisively ahead of all other issues, highlighting a deep-seated public anxiety.
The other threats ranked by voters include:
- Gang violence and organised crime, chosen by 19% of respondents.
- Youth crime, which was the priority for 17% of those polled.
- Cyber attacks and online security, selected by 14%.
- New gun laws, which ranked as the top priority for just 11 per cent of Australians.
- Violence against women, chosen by 9%.
This data sends a powerful message to political leaders in Canberra: the public's priority is squarely on confronting acts of ideologically or religiously motivated violence, rather than pursuing further legislative changes on firearms.
Political and Security Implications
The polling suggests a significant evolution in the Australian public's mindset since the Port Arthur massacre and the subsequent bipartisan National Firearms Agreement. While gun control remains a foundational part of Australia's security landscape, the immediate appetite for further legislative action has clearly waned.
Security analysts suggest this shift may be influenced by several high-profile incidents and a changing global threat environment. The focus has moved towards addressing the root causes and manifestations of home-grown and imported extremist ideologies.
The findings present a strategic challenge for both the Albanese government and the Opposition. They must now calibrate their policy and messaging to align with a public that is increasingly concerned about complex threats like radicalisation and terrorism, while the traditional political consensus on continually tightening gun laws appears to have lost majority support.
This new landscape indicates that any future proposals for major changes to firearm legislation will face a much more sceptical and divided electorate, requiring a fundamentally different approach to public debate and justification.
