Australia's Firearm Legislation: A Global Model That Needs to Endure, Particularly After Bondi

In the aftermath of the awful incident at Bondi, Australia is facing multiple pressing conversations. We are seeing a much-needed national focus on anti-Jewish sentiment, an persistent concern about national security, and questions about how such an tragedy could happen. However, as viewed of a public health expert and Jewish Australian, the paramount discussion we are now having revolves around firearms.

A Decade of Cautions and a Successful Solution

Public health experts have been sounding alarms about guns for a minimum of a decade. In the wake of the Port Arthur massacre, Australians united and implemented a series of reforms to curb gun violence nationwide. And it worked. Prior to 1996, the nation witnessed roughly one large-scale firearm incident per year. In the decades since, there have been vanishingly few significant tragedies, with none reaching the fatalities of the shootings in the 1980s and 1990s.

This Recent Tragedy and the Function of Current Laws

Even during the Bondi tragedy, the nation's firearm regulations were not entirely useless. It has been suggested the alleged attackers might have been armed with bolt-action rifles and at least one straight-pull shotgun. These firearms are limited to firing a one round at a time, requiring a manual operation to chamber the next round. Although these guns are capable of being discharged rapidly with lethal results, they remain far slower and less efficient than the high-capacity, self-loading rifles frequently used in overseas attacks. The casualty count at Bondi would've been far higher if more advanced firearms had been available.

Stopping a future Bondi demands national cohesion. And unfortunately, we have already seen cracks in the facade.

A System Showing Weakness

However, the horrific toll of the incident demonstrates that current gun laws are failing. Designed in the late 1990s with the best of intentions, decades have worn away their efficacy. Concerningly, there are currently more firearms in Australia than prior to the Port Arthur shooting, with some individuals in urban areas reportedly holding collections of hundreds of weapons.

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

The Road Forward: Proposed Changes

In the time after the Bondi attack, there have been multiple declarations regarding strengthened gun laws. The state of NSW in particular will soon enact a suite of reforms to mitigate the collective risk from firearms. The national government has proposed a new firearm surrender scheme, and there is potential for a national firearms registry, despite the complexities 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 dependent on its least stringent jurisdiction. This is the very nature of the Australian federation – regulations in one state are much less meaningful if they can be bypassed with a short drive across a state line.

Addressing Frequent Arguments

We hear the predictable response that "firearms are not the killers, individuals are". This is accurate in the identical way that aircraft do not fly passengers, pilots do. Yes, aircraft require operators, but it would be quite challenging for a captain to move 500 people internationally without the plane. The horrific violence seen at Bondi would be all but impossible without guns, and would have been significantly less lethal if the alleged terrorists had not had access to the firearms they used.

Balancing Need and Safety

It is acknowledged there are legitimate needs for some Australians to possess guns. Farm work or culling pests in rural areas is incredibly hard without them. A total ban of guns from the country is not feasible, as in certain contexts they are essential tools.

What we can do – the imperative action – is to guarantee that gun laws are updated to accurately reflect the world we live in today. Australia's legislation have long been the envy of the world, but the passage of years has taken a toll and the nation is no longer as safe as it previously was. It is critical to learn from the tragedy of Bondi seriously, and ensure that future generations are equally safe as past generations have been.

As one friend remarked after the Bondi attack, "such tragedies just don't happen here". This is true, but only because the country has collectively worked to keep itself safe. As nightmarish as the attack was, there is hope that it can serve as the final tragedy the nation ever sees.