The nation's Firearm Laws: An International Model That Must Persist, Particularly After Bondi

Following the tragedy of the horrific attack at Bondi, Australia is confronting multiple critical conversations. We are seeing a long-overdue national focus on antisemitism, an ongoing concern about public safety, and questions about how such an tragedy could happen. But, from the perspective of a health professional and Australian Jew, the paramount dialogue we are now having centers on firearms.

A Decade of Cautions and a Successful Solution

Public health specialists have been sounding alarms about firearms for a minimum of a decade. In the wake of the Port Arthur massacre, Australians came together and implemented a suite of measures to curb gun violence nationwide. And it worked. Before 1996, the nation witnessed roughly one large-scale firearm incident per year. In the decades since, there have been vanishingly few major events, with none reaching the fatalities of the incidents in the 1980s and 1990s.

This Recent Attack and the Function of Existing Regulations

Even during the Bondi events, the nation's firearm regulations were partially effective. It has been suggested the alleged attackers possessed with bolt-action rifles and at least one straight-pull shotgun. These weapons can only fire a single bullet at a time, requiring a manual operation to ready the subsequent shot. Although these guns can be fired rapidly with lethal results, they remain significantly less rapid and more cumbersome than the large-magazine, self-loading rifles commonplace in overseas attacks. The number of deaths at Bondi could have been much greater if more advanced firearms had been available.

Preventing another Bondi requires unity across all states. Regrettably, there are already fissures in the facade.

A System Showing Weakness

Yet, the horrific toll of the incident reveals that current firearm regulations are inadequate. Designed in the late 1990s with the best of intentions, decades have worn away their effectiveness. Alarmingly, there are currently more firearms in Australia than prior to the Port Arthur massacre, with some individuals in cities owning arsenals numbering in the hundreds.

The nation has grown overconfident and it has exacted a terrible price.

The Path Ahead: Proposed Reforms

Since the Bondi attack, there have been numerous declarations regarding strengthened firearm legislation. The state of NSW specifically will shortly introduce a suite of reforms to reduce the collective risk from firearms. The national government has announced a fresh gun buyback, and there is potential for a countrywide gun database, despite the inherent challenges of coordinating state and federal jurisdictions.

These measures are only possible provided that the nation works together. As stated, when it comes to firearm laws, the country is only as strong as its least stringent jurisdiction. This is the very nature of the Australian federation – regulations in one state are easily circumvented if they can be bypassed with a journey across a border.

Countering Frequent Arguments

There is the predictable argument that "guns don't kill people, people kill people". This is accurate in the identical way that planes don't transport people, pilots do. Certainly, aircraft require operators, but it would be virtually impossible for a pilot to transport 500 people overseas without the plane. The horrific violence witnessed 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.

Balancing Necessity and Security

It is acknowledged there are valid reasons for some Australians to possess firearms. Managing livestock or controlling vermin in many places is incredibly hard without them. A total ban of guns from the country is impractical, as in some cases they are essential tools.

The achievable goal – what we must do – is to guarantee that gun laws are modernized to accurately reflect the world we live in today. Australia's laws have historically been the envy of the world, but time and distance has taken a toll and the nation is no longer as safe 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 commentator observed after the Bondi events, "such tragedies 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. As nightmarish as the incident was, there is hope that it can serve as the final tragedy the nation experiences.