We’ve reported multiple times over the past few years how worthless and ineffective so-called gun “buybacks” are at making any difference in violent crime rates. Of course, that doesn’t stop anti-gun city governments from continuing to perpetuate the fraud.

Now, however, Western Australia has managed to outdo all of the ridiculous American cities that hold such “buybacks.” In a hold-my-beer type of development, officials in Western Australia are holding a two-month-long gun “buyback” for dealers wanting to get rid of some of their stock.  

According to a report at wa.gov.au, the Cook Government has announced that between now and January 17, 2025, Western Australian gun dealers will be allowed to surrender their firearms in return for cash. Once the guns are surrendered to Western Australian police, dealers will receive up to $1,000 per gun, depending on the kind and condition of each firearm.

Of course, as we’ve explained before, the word “buyback” is a complete misnomer since the government never owned the firearms, so, thereby, it can’t “buy” them back. “Compensated confiscation” is a more appropriate term for such firearm hand-in programs.

The move comes as Western Australia’s new, restrictive gun-control law, which places a limit on the number of guns an individual can own and significantly hardens the rules around ownership, is set to take effect on March 15. Government officials are acting like they’re doing dealers a favor by helping them dispose of firearms when actually they’re further tightening the noose on Australia’s besieged gun owners.

Police Minister Paul Papalia bragged that the new gun laws are “the strictest in the nation.”

“The licensed dealer gun buyback provides an opportunity for the industry to hand in their weapons before our tough new firearm laws come into effect,” Papilia said. “Almost 40,000 guns were handed back to police as part of our voluntary gun buyback program, and we anticipate thousands of additional guns to be offloaded by licensed dealers in the coming months.”

Papilia also tried to make it sound like the new restrictive gun laws were a benefit to gun owners, shooters and hunters, even though they are not.

“I encourage anyone who didn’t take part in the previous buyback to consider selling their unneeded firearms to a dealer prior to the January deadline,” he said. “The modernization of a new digital licensing system will see hunters and competition shooters benefit from considerable cost savings when applying for, or renewing, a firearms license.”