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In the aftermath of the horrific attack at Bondi, Australia is confronting multiple pressing conversations. We are seeing a long-overdue national spotlight on antisemitism, an persistent concern about public safety, and inquiries about the way such an event could occur. However, from the perspective of a public health expert and Australian Jew, the paramount dialogue we are finally having revolves around firearms.

Ten Years of Cautions and a Proven Response

Public health specialists have been sounding alarms about firearms for a minimum of a decade. Following the events of the Port Arthur tragedy, Australians united and implemented a suite of reforms to reduce gun violence nationwide. And it worked. Before 1996, the nation experienced roughly one large-scale firearm incident per year. In the decades since, there have been vanishingly few significant tragedies, with none approaching the fatalities of the shootings in the 1980s and 1990s.

This Recent Attack and the Function of Existing Laws

Amidst the Bondi events, the nation's gun laws were partially effective. It has been suggested the alleged attackers possessed with manually-operated long guns and at least one straight-pull shotgun. These firearms are limited to firing a single bullet at a time, necessitating a manual operation 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 large-magazine, self-loading rifles frequently used in international mass shootings. The number of deaths at Bondi could have been much greater if more advanced firearms had been available.

Preventing a future Bondi requires national cohesion. And unfortunately, there are already fissures in the facade.

A System Showing Weakness

However, the horrific consequences of the incident reveals that existing gun laws are failing. Crafted in the late 1990s with the best of intentions, years have worn away their efficacy. Concerningly, there are currently a greater number of guns in Australia than prior to the Port Arthur shooting, with some citizens in urban areas owning collections of hundreds of weapons.

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

The Path Ahead: Announced Reforms

In the time after the Bondi attack, there have been multiple announcements regarding strengthened firearm legislation. The state of NSW in particular will shortly enact a suite of reforms to reduce the collective risk from firearms. The national government has announced a new firearm surrender scheme, and there is potential for a countrywide gun database, notwithstanding the complexities of coordinating state and federal governments.

These measures are only possible if the nation works together. 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 – regulations in one state are easily circumvented if they can be avoided with a journey across a state line.

Addressing Frequent Objections

We hear the predictable argument that "guns don't kill people, people kill people". This is accurate in the same sense that planes don't transport people, aviators do. Yes, planes can't fly themselves, but it would be quite challenging for a pilot to move 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.

Balancing Necessity and Safety

It is acknowledged there are legitimate reasons for some Australians to possess firearms. Managing livestock or culling pests in many places is extremely difficult without them. A total ban of firearms from the country is not feasible, as in some cases they are indispensable.

The achievable goal – what we must do – is to guarantee that firearm legislation are updated to accurately reflect the world we live in today. Australia's laws 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 vital to learn from the tragedy of Bondi seriously, and make certain that coming Australians are as protected as past generations have been.

As one friend remarked after the Bondi events, "things like this just don't happen here". They don't, but solely due to the fact that the country has made concerted efforts to keep itself safe. As nightmarish as the incident was, there is an aspiration that it can serve as the final tragedy the nation ever sees.