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Following the tragedy of the awful incident at Bondi, Australia is confronting several critical reckonings. We are seeing a much-needed national spotlight on anti-Jewish sentiment, an ongoing concern about national security, and questions about the way such an event could occur. But, from the perspective of a public health expert and Australian Jew, the paramount discussion we are finally having centers on firearms.

A Decade of Cautions and a Successful Solution

Health experts have been sounding alarms about firearms for at least a ten-year period. Following the events of the Port Arthur tragedy, Australians united and implemented a series of measures to curb gun violence nationwide. The strategy succeeded. Prior to 1996, the nation witnessed roughly one mass shooting per year. Over the following years, 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 Role of Existing Laws

Even during the Bondi events, the nation's firearm regulations were partially effective. It has been suggested the individuals involved possessed with manually-operated long guns and a straight-pull shotgun. These weapons can only fire a single bullet at a time, requiring a physical action to ready the subsequent shot. Although these guns are capable of being discharged quite quickly with lethal results, they remain far slower and less efficient 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 weapons had been accessible.

Stopping another Bondi demands national cohesion. Regrettably, there are already fissures in the facade.

A System Showing Weakness

Yet, the terrible toll of the incident demonstrates that current firearm regulations are inadequate. Crafted in the late 1990s with the noblest aims, years have worn away their efficacy. Alarmingly, there are currently more firearms in Australia than before the Port Arthur shooting, with some individuals in urban areas reportedly holding collections numbering in the hundreds.

We have been overconfident and it has exacted a terrible price.

The Road Ahead: Proposed Reforms

Since the Bondi attack, there have been multiple declarations regarding strengthened firearm legislation. The state of NSW specifically will shortly introduce a package of measures to mitigate the public danger posed by firearms. The federal government has proposed a fresh firearm surrender scheme, and there is potential for a national firearms registry, notwithstanding the inherent challenges of aligning state and federal governments.

All of this are feasible if the nation acts in unison. As noted, regarding gun control, the country is dependent on its weakest link. This is the very nature of the Australian system – laws in one state are much less meaningful if they can be bypassed with a short drive across a border.

Addressing Common Objections

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. Yes, planes can't fly themselves, but it would be quite challenging for a pilot to transport 500 people overseas without the plane. The horrific violence witnessed at Bondi would be extremely difficult without firearms, and would have been significantly less lethal if the accused individuals had been denied access to the firearms they possessed.

Weighing Necessity and Safety

It is acknowledged there are legitimate reasons for some Australians to possess guns. Farm work or controlling vermin in rural areas is incredibly hard without them. A total ban of firearms from the country is not feasible, as in some cases they are indispensable.

What we can do – the imperative action – is to ensure that firearm legislation are modernized to accurately reflect the society we live in today. Australia's laws have long been the admiration of the world, but time and distance has taken a toll and the nation is no longer as safe as it once was. It is critical to learn from the tragedy of Bondi to heart, and ensure that coming Australians are as protected as previous generations have been.

As one friend remarked after the Bondi events, "such tragedies just don't happen here". This is true, but only because the country has made concerted efforts to maintain its security. However horrific as the attack was, there is an aspiration that it can serve as the last one the nation experiences.