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Following the tragedy of the horrific attack at Bondi, Australia is facing multiple critical conversations. We are seeing a much-needed national spotlight on anti-Jewish sentiment, an persistent worry about national security, and questions about the way such an tragedy could happen. But, from the perspective of a health professional and Australian Jew, the most important discussion we are now having centers on firearms.

Ten Years of Cautions and a Successful Solution

Health specialists have been issuing warnings about guns for a minimum of a decade. In the wake of the Port Arthur tragedy, Australians came together and enacted a suite of measures to curb gun violence nationwide. The strategy succeeded. Before 1996, the nation experienced approximately one mass shooting per year. Over the following years, there have been extremely rare major events, with none reaching the death toll of the shootings in the 1980s and 1990s.

This Recent Attack and the Function of Current Regulations

Even during the Bondi events, the nation's firearm regulations were not entirely useless. Reports indicate the individuals involved might have been armed with manually-operated long guns and at least one straight-pull shotgun. These firearms are limited to firing a one round at a time, requiring a physical action to chamber the next round. While these guns are capable of being discharged rapidly with lethal results, they remain significantly less rapid and less efficient than the high-capacity, self-loading rifles frequently used in international mass shootings. The casualty count at Bondi could have been much greater if different weapons had been accessible.

Stopping a future Bondi requires unity across all states. Regrettably, we have already seen cracks in the united front.

A System Under Strain

However, the terrible toll of the attack reveals that current gun laws are inadequate. Crafted in the late 1990s with the best of intentions, years have worn away their effectiveness. Concerningly, there are currently more firearms in Australia than before the Port Arthur shooting, with some individuals in urban areas owning collections of hundreds of weapons.

We have been overconfident and it has cost us terribly.

The Path Ahead: 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 reduce the public danger from firearms. The federal government has announced a fresh firearm surrender scheme, and there is hope for a countrywide gun database, notwithstanding the complexities of aligning state and federal governments.

These measures are feasible provided that the nation acts in unison. As noted, when it comes to gun control, the country is only as strong as its least stringent jurisdiction. This is the reality of the Australian federation – laws in one state are easily circumvented if they can be avoided with a short drive across a state line.

Countering Frequent Objections

We hear the predictable response that "guns don't kill people, individuals are". This is accurate in the same sense that planes don't transport people, aviators do. Yes, aircraft require operators, but it would be quite challenging for a captain to transport 500 people internationally without the plane. The mass slaughter seen at Bondi would be extremely difficult without guns, and would have been far less damaging if the alleged terrorists had not had access to the weapons they possessed.

Balancing Necessity and Safety

There are valid needs for some Australians to possess firearms. Farm work or culling pests in rural areas is extremely difficult without them. A total ban of firearms from the country is impractical, as in some cases they are essential tools.

The achievable goal – the imperative action – is to ensure that firearm legislation are updated to better match the society we live in today. Australia's legislation have long been the admiration of the world, but time and distance has done its work 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 coming Australians are equally safe as past generations have been.

A commentator remarked after the Bondi events, "things like this just don't happen here". This is true, but only because the country has collectively worked to maintain its security. However horrific as the incident was, there is an aspiration that it can become the final tragedy the nation ever sees.