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In the aftermath of the horrific incident at Bondi, Australia is confronting multiple pressing reckonings. We are seeing a much-needed national focus on antisemitism, an persistent concern about public safety, and questions about how such an event could happen. However, from the perspective of a public health expert and Australian Jew, the most important dialogue we are now having centers on firearms.

Ten Years of Warnings and a Successful Response

Public health experts have been issuing warnings about guns for at least a decade. In the wake of the Port Arthur tragedy, Australians came together and implemented a series of reforms to curb gun violence across the country. And it worked. Prior to 1996, the nation witnessed approximately one mass shooting per year. In the decades since, there have been extremely rare major events, with none reaching the fatalities of the shootings in the 1980s and 1990s.

This Recent Tragedy and the Role of Existing Regulations

Amidst the Bondi tragedy, the nation's gun laws were not entirely useless. It has been suggested the individuals involved might have been armed with manually-operated long guns and at least one straight-pull shotgun. These weapons are limited to firing a one round at a time, necessitating a manual operation to ready the next round. While these guns can be fired rapidly with devastating effect, they remain far slower and more cumbersome than the large-magazine, self-loading rifles commonplace in international attacks. The casualty count at Bondi could have been much greater if more advanced weapons had been accessible.

Preventing another Bondi requires national cohesion. Regrettably, we have already seen fissures in the united front.

Legislation Under Strain

However, the terrible consequences of the attack reveals that existing gun laws are failing. Crafted in the late 1990s with the noblest aims, decades have worn away their efficacy. Alarmingly, there are currently a greater number of guns in Australia than before the Port Arthur massacre, with some citizens in cities owning arsenals of hundreds of weapons.

The nation has grown overconfident and it has cost us terribly.

The Road Ahead: Proposed Changes

In the time after the Bondi tragedy, there have been numerous announcements regarding strengthened gun laws. New South Wales specifically will shortly introduce a package of reforms to reduce the collective risk from firearms. The national government has proposed a fresh gun buyback, and there is hope for a countrywide gun database, notwithstanding the complexities of aligning state and federal governments.

These measures are only possible if the nation acts in unison. As stated, regarding 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 bypassed with a short drive across a border.

Addressing Common Arguments

We hear the inevitable argument that "firearms are not the killers, people kill people". This is true in the same sense that planes don't transport people, pilots do. Certainly, planes can't fly themselves, but it would be quite challenging for a pilot to move 500 people internationally without the plane. The mass slaughter seen at Bondi would be extremely difficult without guns, and would have been significantly less lethal if the accused individuals had not had access to the firearms they possessed.

Balancing Need and Safety

It is acknowledged there are valid needs for some Australians to possess guns. Managing livestock or controlling vermin in rural areas is extremely difficult without them. A total ban of firearms from the country is not feasible, as in certain contexts they are essential tools.

What we can do – the imperative action – is to ensure that gun laws are modernized to accurately reflect the society we live in today. Australia's legislation have long been the envy of the world, but time and distance has taken a toll and the nation is less secure as it previously was. It is vital to take the lessons of Bondi seriously, and ensure that coming Australians are as protected as previous generations have been.

A friend remarked after the Bondi attack, "things like this just don't happen here". This is true, but only because the country has made concerted efforts to keep itself safe. As nightmarish as the attack was, there is hope that it can serve as the final tragedy the nation experiences.