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In the aftermath of the horrific attack at Bondi, Australia is facing multiple pressing conversations. We are seeing a much-needed national focus on antisemitism, an persistent concern about national security, and inquiries about how such an tragedy could happen. But, from the perspective of a public health expert and Australian Jew, the paramount dialogue we are now having revolves around firearms.

A Decade of Cautions and a Successful Response

Public health experts have been sounding alarms about guns for at least a ten-year period. Following the events of the Port Arthur tragedy, Australians came together and enacted a suite of measures to curb gun violence across the country. The strategy succeeded. Before 1996, the nation experienced approximately one mass shooting per year. Over the following years, there have been vanishingly few major events, with none approaching the death toll of the shootings in the 1980s and 1990s.

This Recent Tragedy and the Role of Existing Laws

Even during the Bondi events, the nation's gun laws were partially effective. Reports indicate the alleged attackers possessed with manually-operated long guns and at least one straight-pull shotgun. These firearms can only fire a single bullet at a time, necessitating a physical action to ready the next round. Although these guns can be fired quite quickly with lethal results, they remain far slower and more cumbersome than the large-magazine, self-loading rifles commonplace in international mass shootings. The number of deaths at Bondi would've been far higher if more advanced firearms had been available.

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

Legislation Showing Weakness

Yet, the terrible toll of the attack reveals that existing firearm regulations are failing. Crafted in the late 1990s with the best of intentions, decades have eroded their effectiveness. Concerningly, there are currently a greater number of guns in Australia than before the Port Arthur massacre, with some citizens in urban areas owning arsenals of hundreds of weapons.

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

The Road Ahead: Announced Reforms

Since the Bondi tragedy, there have been numerous announcements regarding new firearm legislation. The state of NSW specifically will shortly enact a package of measures to reduce the public danger from firearms. The federal government has proposed a fresh firearm surrender scheme, and there is hope for a countrywide gun database, despite the inherent challenges of aligning state and federal jurisdictions.

All of this are feasible provided that the nation works together. As noted, when it comes to firearm laws, the country is only as strong as its weakest link. This is the very nature of the Australian federation – regulations in one state are much less meaningful if they can be bypassed with a journey across a state line.

Countering Frequent Arguments

There is the predictable argument that "firearms are not the killers, people kill people". This is true in the same sense that planes don't transport people, aviators do. Certainly, aircraft require operators, but it would be quite challenging for a pilot to transport 500 people internationally without the aircraft. The horrific violence witnessed at Bondi would be extremely difficult without guns, and would have been significantly less lethal if the accused individuals had been denied access to the firearms they possessed.

Weighing Need and Safety

There are legitimate needs for some Australians to own firearms. Managing livestock or culling pests in rural areas is incredibly hard without them. A total ban of guns from the country is not feasible, as in some cases they are indispensable.

The achievable goal – what we must do – is to ensure that firearm legislation are modernized to accurately reflect the world we live in today. Australia's legislation have long been the admiration of the world, but the passage of years has done its work and the nation is less secure as it previously was. It is critical to learn from the tragedy of Bondi to heart, and ensure that future generations are equally safe as past generations have been.

As one friend observed after the Bondi attack, "things like this just don't happen here". They don't, but solely due to the fact that the country has collectively worked to maintain its security. As nightmarish as the attack was, there is hope that it can serve as the last one the nation experiences.