‘Threat is real’: National gun register coming as ‘warped ideologies’ rise

The rising threat of warped ideologies and “sovereign citizen” conspiracies is real, the ASIO chief has warned, as state premiers rally behind a national firearm register in the wake the murder of police officers in Tara.

A national firearms register will be created to protect Australians from people with a “warped ideologies”, as the top spy chief warned national cabinet “that the threat is real” and the consequences were seen at the Tara shooting.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and Prime Minister also continued 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games funding talks, with Anthony Albanese saying to “watch this space” for an announcement.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk in Canberra for national cabinet. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

Bizarre conspiracy theories drove Nathaniel, Gareth and Stacey Train to murder police officers Rachel McCrow and Matthew Arnold, and bystander Alan Dare at Tara in December.

Ms Palaszczuk at the time called for a national firearms register to be created, after it was revealed Nathaniel Train had illegally crossed the NSW border with Queensland in a vehicle full of weapons.

The Premier addressed national cabinet on Friday about the incident, before ASIO chief Mike Burgess delivered a high-level security briefing to the state and territory leaders about the rise of right-wing extremism and “sovereign citizens”.

Mr Albanese said it was agreed at the meeting that a national firearms register was necessary, and that details would be developed by the attorneys-general ministerial council which would report back before the end of the year.

“I attended the funeral service of the victims who were murdered, it was one of the most moving things that I’ve done in my life,” he said.

“When you have people who are on the front line every day, our police officers, murdered … the catastrophic premeditated, calculated murder that occurred there on the basis of a warped ideology, it requires us to do what we can to keep the citizens we all represent safe.

“Hence the report this morning from Mr Burgess, that went into details that I won’t go into here, but we know that the threat is real and tragically, we have seen the consequences of it.”

Meanwhile Ms Palaszczuk said she would be speaking to people shortly about a funding deal with the Federal Government for the 2032 Games.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaking after national cabinet. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

“The Prime Minister’s a very firm supporter of the Olympics in Brisbane and across Queensland,” she said.

Ms Albanese said issues were being worked through, but to “watch this space”.

“Premier Palaszczuk and I are both committed to a very successful Brisbane and Queensland Olympic Games,” he said.

“I want to make sure, and I have the experience of living in Sydney (during the 2000 Olympics), is to make sure it’s not just about the event when it happens in that four weeks – it is about leaving an infrastructure legacy that benefits not just Brisbane, but the whole of Queensland.

“I’m very confident that people will see the Commonwealth and the Queensland Government working together in the interests not just of Queenslanders, but that this is an event that will be great for Australia.”