The nation's Firearm Laws: An International Example That Needs to Endure, Especially After Bondi

In the aftermath of the awful attack at Bondi, Australia is confronting several critical reckonings. We are seeing a long-overdue national spotlight on anti-Jewish sentiment, an persistent concern about public safety, and inquiries about the way such an tragedy could occur. But, from the perspective of a public health expert and Jewish Australian, the paramount discussion we are now having revolves around firearms.

A Decade of Warnings and a Proven Solution

Health experts have been sounding alarms about firearms for a minimum of a decade. Following the events of the Port Arthur tragedy, Australians came together and implemented a suite of reforms to curb gun violence nationwide. And it worked. Before 1996, the nation witnessed approximately one mass shooting per year. Over the following years, there have been vanishingly few significant tragedies, with none approaching the fatalities of the incidents in the 1980s and 1990s.

This Recent Attack and the Role of Existing Laws

Amidst the Bondi events, the nation's firearm regulations were partially effective. Reports indicate the alleged attackers possessed with bolt-action rifles and at least one straight-pull shotgun. These weapons are limited to firing a one round at a time, necessitating a physical action to chamber the next round. Although these guns can be fired rapidly with lethal results, they remain significantly less rapid and more cumbersome than the large-magazine, semi-automatic rifles commonplace in overseas mass shootings. The number of deaths at Bondi would've been far higher if different weapons had been available.

Preventing a future Bondi requires national cohesion. Regrettably, we have already seen cracks in the facade.

A System Showing Weakness

However, the terrible consequences of the incident demonstrates that existing gun laws are inadequate. Crafted in the late 1990s with the noblest aims, decades have worn away their efficacy. Alarmingly, there are currently more firearms in Australia than prior to the Port Arthur shooting, with some individuals in cities reportedly holding collections numbering in the hundreds.

We have been complacent and it has exacted a terrible price.

The Path Forward: Proposed Reforms

Since the Bondi attack, there have been numerous announcements regarding new firearm legislation. New South Wales in particular will shortly introduce a suite of measures to mitigate the collective risk from firearms. The national government has announced a new firearm surrender scheme, and there is hope for a national firearms registry, notwithstanding the inherent challenges of coordinating state and federal jurisdictions.

These measures are feasible provided that the nation works together. As stated, regarding gun control, the country is dependent on its least stringent jurisdiction. This is the very nature of the Australian system – regulations in one state are much less meaningful if they can be bypassed with a journey across a state line.

Addressing Common Objections

We hear the predictable response that "guns don't kill people, individuals are". This is true in the same sense that planes don't transport people, aviators do. Yes, aircraft require operators, but it would be virtually impossible for a captain to move 500 people overseas without the plane. The horrific violence seen at Bondi would be extremely difficult without guns, and would have been significantly less lethal if the alleged terrorists had not had access to the weapons they used.

Weighing Need and Safety

There are valid reasons for some Australians to possess firearms. Managing livestock or culling pests in rural areas is extremely difficult without them. A complete removal of firearms from the country is not feasible, as in certain contexts they are essential tools.

The achievable goal – what we must do – is to guarantee that firearm legislation are modernized to accurately reflect the world we live in today. Australia's laws have long been the envy of the world, but time and distance has done its work and the nation is less secure as it previously was. It is critical to take the lessons of Bondi seriously, and ensure that future generations are as protected as past generations have been.

A friend remarked after the Bondi events, "things like this just don't happen here". They don't, but solely due to the fact that the country has made concerted efforts to maintain its security. However horrific as the incident was, there is an aspiration that it can serve as the final tragedy the nation experiences.