Post by : Saif Rahman

Australia has gained a reputation for its stringent gun laws enacted after the tragic Port Arthur massacre in 1996. These regulations encompass mandatory licensing, comprehensive background checks, and registration for each firearm. For an extended period, these measures maintained remarkably low gun death rates.

Nevertheless, specialists now indicate that modifications at the state level, outdated protocols, and inadequate background checks may have facilitated firearm access for the assailants in the Bondi Beach Hanukkah incident, resulting in fifteen fatalities and a national shock.

Reports reveal that the older assailant, Sajid Akram, 50, obtained his gun license legally in 2023 and possessed six firearms. He and his son are alleged to have used these weapons during the attack. In 2008, New South Wales eliminated a 28-day waiting period for licensed gun owners acquiring additional firearms, leading experts to argue that this diminished scrutiny enables rapid accumulation of guns.

Gun control advocate Rebecca Peters stated that if Akram had faced a 28-day waiting period for each firearm, he would not have been able to gather them so swiftly. She also proposes reinstating this waiting period and instituting limits on firearm ownership, which could help curtail the number of guns in circulation and enhance public safety.

With nearly one million licensed firearm owners and over four million legal guns in Australia, public sentiment favors stricter regulations, with around two-thirds of Australians supporting more robust restrictions. Nonetheless, loopholes persist, such as non-citizens being able to secure gun licenses, evident in Akram's case.

Licensing often allows individuals to affiliate with shooting or hunting clubs to qualify for a license. Some clubs require minimal engagement, and many lack a physical address, as noted in a review of New South Wales gun clubs. Experts argue this facilitates access to firearms without genuine commitment to safe recreational practices.

Furthermore, background checks are often insufficient. Applicants must declare any criminal history or mental health issues, but there's no automatic verification of social media or other risk indicators. Public health expert Simon Chapman remarked that some individuals exploit these gaps, obtaining firearms legally despite potential hazards.

Links to extremist groups do not automatically inhibit license approval. The surviving perpetrator in the Bondi incident had ties to a group with suspected links to Islamic State, yet this did not prevent him from obtaining a license.

Advocates and experts stress that reform is essential. The challenge lies not in the existence of gun clubs or licenses, but the deficiencies in management, background checks, and enforcement. Tom Kenyon, CEO of the Sporting Shooters Association of Australia, emphasized that enhanced information sharing and oversight could have averted this tragedy.

The Bondi attack has reignited national discussions around gun laws in Australia. Many believe that stronger oversight, restrictions on gun ownership, the reinstatement of waiting periods, and more stringent checks for non-citizens are essential to safeguard the public and avert future incidents.

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