Lachlan Leeming
Lachlan Leeming covers the politics of gun control and state power in New South Wales, often focusing on how firearm policy collides with cost, bureaucracy and backlash from those expected to carry it out. He reports for The Australian as its NSW political reporter, bringing a background in federal politics and experience in the Canberra press gallery to state-level debates. His coverage distinguishes itself by treating firearms policy as a live political and economic issue rather than a settled chapter, closely tracking the mechanics, price tags and opponents of new laws.
NSW politics and firearms policy
Leeming’s recent work centres on the rolling debate over gun reform and buyback schemes, using NSW as a lens on national politics. In coverage of the national gun buyback, he follows how decisions in Canberra translate into tension with state governments and unions, showing the political cost of implementing complex reforms. His reporting on New South Wales gun policy often details proposed changes to licensing and ownership, the scope of weapons targeted, and the reactions of stakeholders who argue they will be disproportionately affected.
As NSW political reporter, he places these firearms stories within the broader contest between state and federal authorities. When he reports on states “revolting” or holding firm against national buyback plans, he highlights the practical levers available to premiers and ministers, such as funding control, legislative timing and administrative detail.
That focus on how power is exercised, rather than only on headline announcements, marks his coverage out from more generic treatments of gun reform.
Gun buyback costs and economic modelling
A defining feature of Leeming’s reporting on gun policy is his use of economic modelling and detailed cost analysis to interrogate government plans. In his story on the projected cost of a NSW gun buyback, he draws on new modelling showing compensation alone running into hundreds of millions of dollars, framing the scheme as a major budget item rather than a symbolic gesture. He breaks down what the figures represent, how they were calculated, and what they imply for taxpayers and future state spending priorities.
Across his buyback coverage he returns to the question of affordability, asking whether governments have fully explained how the scheme will be funded and implemented.
By foregrounding cost and modelling, he contrasts official rhetoric about safety and reform with the financial reality facing departments and industry. That sustained attention to the economic dimension of a politically charged issue gives communications around gun policy a different level of scrutiny.
Industry, union and expert backlash
Leeming regularly reports on opposition to gun reform from unions, industry groups and figures involved in earlier waves of firearm law reform. In his coverage of union criticism of the national gun buyback, he documents concerns over the scheme’s expense and its practical impact on workers and members, giving space to arguments that the plan is poorly targeted or opaque. He treats these voices not as fringe commentary but as organised political actors capable of shaping the fate of legislation.
His reporting also draws on expert and insider critique of current policy settings.
In a piece covering a gun reform architect’s “spineless” assessment of the buyback, he contrasts past reform principles with the perceived shortcomings of the new scheme, using direct language from sources to convey the depth of frustration. This pattern - juxtaposing government messaging with sharp quotes from those who built or administer the system - gives readers a clear sense of conflict lines and the credibility of dissent.
Reporter’s background and approach
Leeming’s role at The Australian follows earlier work as a federal political reporter in the Canberra press gallery, a trajectory that informs his treatment of state politics as part of a national story.
His public profile describes him as a NSW political correspondent with experience reporting from Canberra, the United Kingdom and regional areas, suggesting a familiarity with both metropolitan and rural perspectives. That breadth is visible in his gun coverage, where he tracks reactions from city-based unions, rural firearm owners and politicians across jurisdictions.
Across his politics reporting, Leeming’s work is characterised by a focus on contested policy detail. He pays close attention to how schemes are structured, what information governments choose not to release, and which groups mobilise in response.
Rather than treating firearms policy as a single legislative event, he follows its implementation over time - cost estimates, buyback design, and resistance from states, unions and experts - making his coverage particularly relevant for stories that sit at the intersection of lawmaking, budgeting and organised political opposition.
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