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Following the tragedy of the horrific incident at Bondi, Australia is facing multiple critical reckonings. There is a much-needed national focus on antisemitism, an persistent worry about public safety, and questions about the way such an tragedy could happen. However, from the perspective of a public health expert and Jewish Australian, the paramount discussion we are now having revolves around firearms.

Ten Years of Warnings and a Successful Response

Health specialists have been sounding alarms about guns for at least a ten-year period. Following the events of the Port Arthur massacre, Australians came together and enacted a series of reforms to reduce 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 extremely rare significant tragedies, with none reaching the fatalities of the incidents in the 1980s and 1990s.

The Bondi Tragedy and the Role of Current Laws

Amidst the Bondi tragedy, the nation's gun laws were not entirely useless. Reports indicate the alleged attackers might have been armed with bolt-action rifles and a straight-pull shotgun. These weapons can only fire a single bullet at a time, necessitating a manual operation to ready the next round. Although these guns are capable of being discharged rapidly with devastating effect, they remain far slower and less efficient than the high-capacity, semi-automatic rifles frequently used in overseas attacks. The number of deaths at Bondi would've been far higher if more advanced weapons had been available.

Preventing another Bondi requires national cohesion. And unfortunately, there are already cracks in the united front.

Legislation Showing Weakness

Yet, the horrific toll of the incident reveals that current gun laws are failing. Designed in the late 1990s with the noblest aims, years have eroded their effectiveness. Alarmingly, there are now more firearms in Australia than prior to the Port Arthur shooting, with some citizens in cities owning arsenals of hundreds of weapons.

We have been complacent and it has cost us terribly.

The Path Ahead: Announced Changes

In the time after the Bondi tragedy, there have been multiple announcements regarding new gun laws. The state of NSW in particular will shortly introduce a suite of reforms to reduce the collective risk posed by firearms. The national government has proposed a fresh gun buyback, and there is potential for a countrywide gun database, notwithstanding the inherent challenges of coordinating state and federal governments.

All of this are feasible if the nation acts in unison. As noted, when it comes to firearm laws, the country is only as strong as its least stringent jurisdiction. This is the very nature of the Australian federation – laws in one state are easily circumvented if they can be bypassed with a short drive across a state line.

Countering Frequent Objections

There is the inevitable response that "guns don't kill people, individuals are". This is true in the identical way that aircraft do not fly passengers, aviators do. Yes, aircraft require operators, but it would be quite challenging for a captain to move 500 people overseas without the aircraft. The mass slaughter witnessed at Bondi would be extremely difficult without guns, and would have been significantly less lethal if the alleged terrorists had not had access to the weapons they possessed.

Weighing Need and Safety

It is acknowledged there are legitimate reasons for some Australians to possess guns. Farm work or controlling vermin in many places is incredibly hard without them. A complete removal of guns from the country is impractical, as in certain contexts they are essential tools.

What we can do – the imperative action – is to guarantee that firearm legislation are modernized to accurately reflect the world we live in today. Australia's laws have long been the envy of the world, but the passage of years has taken a toll and the nation is no longer as safe as it once was. It is vital to take the lessons of Bondi seriously, and make certain that coming Australians are as protected as previous generations have been.

As one commentator remarked after the Bondi attack, "such tragedies just don't happen here". This is true, but solely due to the fact that the country has made concerted efforts to maintain its security. As nightmarish as the incident was, there is hope that it can become the last one the nation experiences.