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In the aftermath of the horrific attack at Bondi, Australia is confronting several critical reckonings. There is a much-needed national focus on antisemitism, an ongoing concern about national security, and inquiries about how such an event could occur. However, from the perspective of a health professional and Jewish Australian, the paramount dialogue we are finally having revolves around firearms.

Ten Years of Cautions and a Proven Solution

Health specialists have been issuing warnings about firearms for at least a decade. In the wake of the Port Arthur massacre, Australians united and implemented a suite of measures to curb gun violence nationwide. The strategy succeeded. Before 1996, the nation experienced approximately one large-scale firearm incident per year. In the decades since, there have been vanishingly few major events, with none reaching the fatalities of the incidents in the 1980s and 1990s.

The Bondi Tragedy and the Function of Existing Laws

Amidst the Bondi events, the nation's gun laws were not entirely useless. It has been suggested the individuals involved possessed with bolt-action rifles and a straight-pull shotgun. These firearms can only fire a single bullet at a time, necessitating a physical action to chamber the next round. While these guns are capable of being discharged quite quickly with devastating effect, they remain far slower and more cumbersome than the high-capacity, self-loading rifles commonplace in overseas mass shootings. The casualty count at Bondi could have been much greater if more advanced firearms had been available.

Preventing another Bondi demands national cohesion. And unfortunately, there are already cracks in the facade.

Legislation Under Strain

However, the horrific consequences of the attack demonstrates that existing gun laws are failing. Crafted in the late 1990s with the noblest aims, decades have worn away their effectiveness. Alarmingly, there are now more firearms in Australia than before the Port Arthur shooting, with some individuals in cities reportedly holding arsenals numbering in the hundreds.

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

The Path Ahead: 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 shortly enact a package of measures to reduce the collective risk posed by firearms. The federal government has announced a fresh gun buyback, and there is potential for a countrywide gun database, notwithstanding the inherent challenges of aligning state and federal governments.

All of this are feasible if the nation works together. As noted, when it comes to gun control, the country is dependent on 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 state line.

Addressing Frequent Objections

There is 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. Yes, aircraft require operators, but it would be quite challenging for a captain to transport 500 people overseas without the aircraft. The mass slaughter witnessed at Bondi would be extremely difficult without firearms, and would have been far less damaging if the accused individuals had been denied access to the firearms they used.

Weighing Need and Security

It is acknowledged there are valid needs for some Australians to own 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 certain contexts they are essential tools.

The achievable goal – what we must do – is to ensure that firearm legislation are updated to better match the world we live in today. Australia's laws have historically been the envy of the world, but time and distance has taken a toll and the nation is no longer as safe as it previously was. It is critical to take the lessons of Bondi seriously, and make certain that future generations are as protected as past generations have been.

As one friend remarked after the Bondi events, "such tragedies just don't happen here". They don't, but only because the country has collectively worked to maintain its security. However horrific as the attack was, there is an aspiration that it can serve as the final tragedy the nation ever sees.