The candidate and his cause
Jeff Bacon, the managing director of Tamworth-based weapons manufacturer Oceania Precision, is making a pivot into politics. He’s currently running for a seat in the NSW upper house with One Nation. His platform is pretty singular: he wants to undo the firearms reforms passed last December in the wake of the Bondi beach tragedy.
Bacon is tight with the party brass; NSW One Nation leader Mike Newman has already dubbed him the “go-to man” for anything related to the firearms industry. It’s a bit of a political career hop-scotch for Bacon, who previously ran for the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party in 2019 and had a stint with the Nationals in 2023.
The legislative beef
The laws in question were pushed through by the Labor and Liberal parties on Christmas Eve 2025. They essentially capped the number of guns recreational license-holders can own, mandated a state-federal buyback scheme—kicking off this November 2—and recategorized certain rifles, including straight-pull and lever-release models. These changes were a direct reaction to the December 2024 attack at Bondi, where 15 people lost their lives.
Bacon claims that these reforms essentially nuked his product line. He’s argued that “every single one” of his rifles is now effectively banned for recreational owners in NSW. He’s stated that without a repeal, his business could collapse within months, noting that his R&D funding relies heavily on those commercial sales. It’s giving major industry-versus-regulation tension.
The fallout
The political landscape here is getting spicy. While One Nation is pushing hard to axe the buyback, public opinion is a mixed bag. A September poll showed about 63% of voters still support the reforms, though opposition is significantly higher among One Nation’s base. Meanwhile, advocacy groups like the Alannah and Madeline Foundation are slamming the push for repeal, calling it "outrageous politics" that ignores the reality of the community's safety needs.
Why it matters
This isn't just a local policy spat; it's a look at how industry interests collide with post-tragedy gun safety reforms. With One Nation polling strongly in NSW, the future of these laws—and the fate of businesses like Oceania Precision—could hinge on the March election, making it a high-stakes standoff for both local hunters and the state’s safety standards.
