Gun Policy News
Firearm violence, gun control and small arms
Serbia,Australia,United States
Serbians Hand In Thousands of Guns After Two Mass Killings
12 May 2023
Washington Post
Serbians handed in thousands of guns in the first three days of an amnesty aimed at disarming the country following two mass killings last week, including one targeting schoolchildren.
Almost 6,000 unregistered weapons, 300,000 rounds of ammunition, and 470 pieces of mines and explosive devices have been voluntarily surrendered nationwide since Monday, the country's interior ministry said Thursday in an Instagram post promoting the measure.
President Aleksandar Vucic... (GunPolicy.org)
First Year of New Australian Firearm Amnesty Nets 17,000 Guns
21 January 2023
Guardian
More than 17,000 weapons, including a Vietnam war-era flamethrower, were surrendered in the first year of Australia's national permanent firearms amnesty.
States and territories struck an agreement with the Commonwealth in 2019 to establish an enduring amnesty allowing gun owners to hand in unregistered, illegal, or unwanted firearms without punishment or investigation.
The amnesty began in mid-2021, after Covid-related delays, aiming to claw back some of the roughly... (GunPolicy.org)
Warrant Issued for Killer Before He Shot Two Australian Police
22 December 2022
Guardian
Queensland police have revealed there was a warrant issued for Nathaniel Train's arrest in the months before he took part in the Wieambilla shootings, but insist there were no "flags" to indicate officers visiting the property were in danger.
Deputy commissioner Tracy Linford said Train's gun licence had been suspended and an arrest warrant issued after he breached Covid-19 restrictions in December 2021.
During that incident, Train had crossed the border from New... (GunPolicy.org)
3D-printed Guns Are On The Rise in Australia
9 November 2022
The Conversation (Australia)
Last week, police seized about 80 illegal firearms across Victoria. These included eight homemade firearms, four of which were "military-style weapons", as well as two 3D printers.
This is the latest in a series of seizures of 3D-printed weapons in Australia:
- in 2016, Queensland police discovered a 3D printer in a raid on a "large-scale" firearms production facility
- in September 2021, New South Wales counter-terrorism police arrested a right-wing extremist for... (GunPolicy.org)
China, Australia Must Not Turn Solomon Islands Into a Gun State
5 November 2022
Guardian, Opinion
My country once lived in fear of the gun. Thousands of weapons, many stolen from police armouries, fuelled the years of violence known as "the tensions", and disarming the police and population took years. Now, it seems China and Australia want to turn Solomon Islands into a gun state again.
This week Australia announced it would give the Royal Solomon Islands police force 13 vehicles and 60 MK-18 semi-automatic rifles – a move described as a "gamechanger" that... (GunPolicy.org)
'Ghost guns' and 3D printing: Secret arsenals in Australia
4 November 2022
Brisbane Times / Nine
KEY POINTS
- There have been 11 fatal, and 15 non-fatal, shootings in Victoria this year.
- Police have also seized numerous illicit weapons, including a cache of firearms found hidden in a storage container in Melbourne's outer north.
- Many criminals rely on "grey market" guns that should have been relinquished in the 1996 buy-back scheme.
- The use of 3D printing to create weapons is also becoming more sophisticated and common.
In a storage container on a property... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia Donates 60 Rifles to Solomon Islands Police Force
2 November 2022
Guardian
Australia has provided Solomon Islands police with MK18 rifles and vehicles. Photograph: Australian High Commission to Solomon Islands
Australia has announced the donation of police vehicles and 60 MK18 rifles to the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) in a move described as a "game changer" for Australia's relationship with Solomon Islands police.
The announcement comes after a turbulent year in the relationship between Australia and Solomon Islands,... (GunPolicy.org)
3D-printed firearm seized in Western Australia
14 June 2022
Armament Research Services (ARES), Web page
On 12 June 2022, the Western Australia Police Force (WAPOL) held a press conference to present the first fully functional 3D-printed firearm seized in the Australian state of Western Australia (WA) to date. The gun was reportedly seized on 3 June 2022 from an 18-year-old individual who had manufactured it at his home in the suburb of Bayswater, WA. In addition to the firearm, WAPOL reportedly also found a 3D printer, a suppressor, ammunition, and a set-up to make... (GunPolicy.org)
United Kingdom,Australia,United States,New Zealand
Australia, UK, New Zealand Tackled Mass Shootings
1 June 2022
CNN, Opinion
A man – almost always a man – commonly with no criminal history and no diagnosis of mental illness, armed with a lawfully obtained semiautomatic 'assault' weapon, kills and injures a large number of innocents in a place they imagined to be safe.
It happens around the world, but horrifyingly more and more often in the United States, most recently in Uvalde, Texas and Buffalo, New York.
To those of us who live in culturally similar nations, but where the... (GunPolicy.org)
Australian MP Misfires With Wild Guns in School Quote
1 April 2022
Australian Associated Press / AAP
Federal independent MP Bob Katter has a reputation for shooting from the hip in media interviews but has badly misfired with a claim that Israel, Finland, Sweden and Switzerland provide schoolchildren with guns.
The claim is wrong. Government authorities in each of the four nations mentioned by Mr Katter have confirmed to AAP FactCheck that schoolchildren in their countries are not provided with guns and schools do not have armouries.
Mr Katter, who has been the MP... (GunPolicy.org)
Western Australia to 'Rewrite' its Firearm Laws
22 March 2022
Sydney Morning Herald
Premier Mark McGowan and Police Minister Paul Papalia on Tuesday announced an overhaul of the state's gun ownership laws.
It has been revealed the number of licensed firearms in the state had soared by 60 per cent, with a gun owner on close to every suburban street.
A WA Police map showed around 3.4 per cent of the population, or 89,000 people, hold gun licences. They possessed, on average, four firearms each – which reflected national figures.
And while the number... (GunPolicy.org)
Western Australia to Rewrite State's Gun Control Law
21 March 2022
West Australian (Perth)
Western Australia's outdated firearms laws will be completely rewritten by the McGowan Government, as shocking new maps reveal the true scale of gun ownership in suburban Perth.
The maps -- provided to The West Australian from the WA Police Force database -- show how prolific the potentially lethal weapons have become in every corner of the city.
Each green dot represents a house where a handgun - such as a revolver or pistol - is being stored, while the thousands... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Australia,New Zealand,United Kingdom,Falkland Islands,Mexico
How US Gun Culture Stacks Up With the World
26 November 2021
CNN
Ubiquitous gun violence in the United States has left few places unscathed over the decades. Still, many Americans hold their right to bear arms, enshrined in the US Constitution, as sacrosanct. But critics of the Second Amendment say that right threatens another: The right to life.
America's relationship to gun ownership is unique, and its gun culture is a global outlier.
As the tally of gun-related deaths continue to grow daily, here's a look at how gun culture in... (GunPolicy.org)
Permanent Gun Amnesty Declared in Australia
1 July 2021
Sydney Morning Herald (Australia)
Australians will be able to surrender their illegal or unregistered firearms without fear of being fined or prosecuted under a new nationwide permanent amnesty that begins on Thursday.
The first rolling program of its type will allow anyone in possession of an illicit or unwanted firearm to hand it over to authorities in a renewed attempt by state and federal law enforcement agencies to reduce the tens of thousands of illicit weapons that fall into criminal hands.
The... (GunPolicy.org)
Lest We Forget Massacre Victims
28 April 2021
The Australian
Twenty-five years after the Port Arthur massacre, which triggered national firearm controls, the number of gun owners and gun deaths has fallen dramatically, amid claims that states are eroding the landmark laws.
Wednesday marks a quarter of a century to the day since Martin Bryant's shooting spree on the Tasman Peninsula left 35 people dead and 18 wounded, shaking Australia from its gun culture complacency.
The National Firearms Agreement, brokered by then-prime... (GunPolicy.org)
Still No Firearms Registry 25 Years After Port Arthur Massacre
11 April 2021
Advertiser (Adelaide)
As the 25-year anniversary of the Port Arthur massacre approaches, a News Corp investigation has revealed the National Firearms Agreement, signed in the days following the massacre, is riddled with loopholes.
A number of changes agreed by the states and territories in response to the massacre, in which 35 people were killed and 20 injured by a lone gunman at Port Arthur in Tasmania, have never been implemented.
And some laws have since been watered-down as the states... (GunPolicy.org)
Multiple Arrests and Firearms Seized in Australian Police Raids
7 April 2021
Australian Border Force, Media release
Law enforcement agencies across Australia seized 823 firearms last month as part of a national week of action.
Operation Athena, a collaborative and national law enforcement group comprising of police from jurisdictions across Australia with assistance from Federal agencies including Australian Federal Police (AFP) and Australian Border Force (ABF) undertook a national week of action across Australia to target the trafficking and use of illicit firearms.
A number... (GunPolicy.org)
'Gaps in the system': Move to overhaul paper-based gun licensing system
16 July 2020
Sydney Morning Herald
Criminals are exploiting gaps and inconsistencies in the gun licensing systems of different states and territories to funnel legal firearms into the black market, illegally dispose of guns and move their licences to other states without immediate detection.
Gun owners who lose their licence are also registering their firearms in other states - without any red flags initially being raised - because some states and territories are still operating on largely paper-based... (GunPolicy.org)
Shooting in Sydney Raises Questions About Gun Control
2 October 2019
New York Times
SYDNEY, Australia — A gunman was shot dead by the police on Wednesday after an hourlong shooting spree across western Sydney that targeted a home and two police stations.
The police said the man, firing a shotgun in the middle of a busy suburb, wounded several officers, including one who suffered a head injury.
The shooting comes at a time of rising concern among gun control advocates in Australia who have been arguing for years that the country's strict gun laws... (GunPolicy.org)
38 Firearms Seized by Northern Territory Police
5 September 2019
ABC News (Australia)
A banned shotgun, a silencer and a 95-year-old pistol once owned by a legendary novelist have all been hauled in during a gun blitz by the Northern Territory Police.
Officers from the NT's Firearms Policy and Recording Unit last week seized 38 firearms from across the NT.
"A male will be facing charges of possessing a silencer, as well as importation offences for bringing that item into the country," said Senior Sergeant Drew Slape.
"People buy silencers generally... (GunPolicy.org)
South Australia Police Seize Over 238 Firearms in One Haul
5 August 2019
ABC News (Australia)
Police say a three-day search of secret rooms in an Adelaide Hills property has uncovered more than 200 illegal weapons, including an assault rifle "very similar" to the one used in the Texas mass shooting.
SA Police said officers from the Firearms Branch and Eastern Adelaide detectives searched the property just after 5:30 pm on Friday.
They said they found illegal reloading equipment, throwing knives, daggers, bayonets and military ammunition.
Some of the guns and... (GunPolicy.org)
John Howard Rejects NRA Criticism of Australian Gun Laws
31 July 2019
Sydney Morning Herald / The Age
John Howard has rejected claims by the new president of America's National Rifle Association that the gun law reforms that he championed as prime minster after the Port Arthur massacre are ineffective and unpopular.
"I was in Australia not long after the tragedy in 1996 that led to that nation's repressive gun-control laws. In looking back, we must be careful to isolate and weigh the facts," Carolyn Meadows wrote in her column for the NRA's official gun rights journal... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Secrecy and Tracking Illicit Firearms
14 June 2019
ABC News (Australia)
How did the accused Darwin gunman, parolee Ben Hoffmann, get his hands on a shotgun and allegedly kill four people?
Likely with relative ease — according to the public health professor behind the world's largest catalogue of evidence on gun violence, firearm law and gun control.
The 12-gauge pump action shotgun was seized at the time of Hoffman's arrest, and police later confirmed its serial number matched a weapon stolen in 1997.
That scenario — a long-armed... (GunPolicy.org)
Darwin Mass Shooter Claims Mental Health Issues
7 June 2019
Guardian
The man accused of the Northern Territory's worst mass shooting has told a Darwin court he is "very sorry about what happened".
Benjamin Glenn Hoffmann, 45, faced Darwin local court on Friday for the first time since being charged with murder over Tuesday night's rampage that killed four men.
The heavily tattooed Hoffmann appeared via video link from Darwin prison in a red T-shirt and white football shorts. He looked distressed and gaunt and appeared to have numerous... (GunPolicy.org)
Victim of Darwin Mass Shooting Didn't Know the Shooter
5 June 2019
Guardian
Details of the victims of a mass shooting in Darwin have been revealed as Northern Territory police say they expect to soon lay charges against the alleged gunman.
One of the victims, a PhD student and taxi driver Hassan Baydoun, had never met the accused gunman, his cousin says.
Baydoun had been driving his taxi but returned home to his studio apartment in McMinn Street on Tuesday evening for a meal break.
He was there at the time the gunman was going from room to... (GunPolicy.org)
Illegal Shotgun Used in Darwin Mass Shooting
5 June 2019
BBC News
A man alleged to have killed four people and injured another in the Australian city of Darwin used an illegal pump-action shotgun, police say.
The 45-year-old suspect, known to police, was arrested about an hour after the first shots were fired on Tuesday.
Police said he carried out attacks at several locations and may have been searching for a "specific individual".
It was not terror-related, they added.
Authorities have not identified the victims nor the... (GunPolicy.org)
WA Police Firearms Database Riddled With Issues
17 May 2019
iTnews
Western Australia's firearms database has been roundly criticised by the state's auditor for containing significant data integrity issues that impede the regulation of guns in the community .
The Firearm Controls Audit Report [pdf], released by auditor-general Caroline Spencer on Wednesday, reveals "control and functionality weaknesses" with the state's licensing and registry (L&R) information system.
The relatively new system used to asses some 10,500 firearm licence... (GunPolicy.org)
Ex-Firearm Dealer Gets 11 Years for Smuggling 'Mass Kill' Guns
14 May 2019
Australian Associated Press
A Victorian man who imported "mass killing machines" has had years added to his prison sentence after an appeal.
Paul Robert Munro, 65, was originally ordered to serve at least six years behind bars for importing a dozen Thureon machine guns, capable of firing 1000 rounds a minute.
But on Tuesday the Court of Appeal revealed it had increased his non-parole period to 11 years.
The maximum 10-year sentence handed down by the County Court last May was also increased to... (GunPolicy.org)
Record Number of Australians Enrolled to Vote This Election
23 April 2019
SBS News
A record number of Australians have enrolled to vote at the 18 May federal election, according to the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC).
The total of 16,424,248 people, which accounts for 96.8 per cent of the eligible voting population, tops the number of people enrolled to vote ahead of the 2016 federal election by around 750,000.
Those numbers are "something all Australians can be proud of" and is unlikely to be matched anywhere in the world, Electoral... (GunPolicy.org)
NSW Dealer Accused of Trafficking
11 April 2019
Sporting Shooter / SSAA
Shane Simpson, gun shop owner and presenter on Hunting The Menu, is accused of being a major underworld weapons supplier and of selling firearms used in crimes across Australia, including the executions of two of Sydney highest-ranking organised crime figures.
The Daily Telegraph reported police allege arms dealer Shane James Simpson operated out of a gun shop in Port Kembla near Wollongong and sold guns which were used in the murders of two of Sydney's most... (GunPolicy.org)
Illegal Firearms Dealer Charged, Hundreds of Guns Seized
11 April 2019
ABC News (Australia)
Key points:
- NSW Police seize 300 firearms from licensed gun dealer, who has been charged with 40 offences
- Dealer accused of being a 'professional facilitator' of organised crime networks across three states
- Accused has not applied for bail or entered a plea in court
A licensed firearms dealer in New South Wales has been charged with more than 40 firearms offences and had more than 300 guns seized from his business in what NSW Police have described as one of the... (GunPolicy.org)
NSW Gun Dealer Arrested for Selling Guns Illegally
10 April 2019
Illawarra Mercury
A Port Kembla firearms dealer has been arrested, and more than 300 weapons seized from his business, after he allegedly sold guns police say were used to shoot dead at least one Sydney underworld figure.
Shane Simpson was taken into custody after officers raided his firearms and hunting store - Simpson Sports, on the corner of Wentworth and Fitzwilliam streets - about 8.30am on Wednesday.
The Mercury understands police arrested the 46-year-old licensed firearms dealer... (GunPolicy.org)
Poor Data Collation of National Registries in Australia
3 April 2019
Sydney Morning Herald, Opinion
When I was tiny I wore a rabbit-skin coat and ate rabbit two or three times a week, courtesy of my father and his 22-calibre hunting rifle.
My parents had gone back to the land in that 1970s idealistic way and we lived in a log cabin - hand built by Dad - surrounded by scrubby bushland in the hinterland of the NSW south coast.
Later when my parents went their separate ways and moved back to the city, Dad's gun came with him.
The wooden rifle sat propped against the... (GunPolicy.org)
No Other Party Has Hammered Our Gun Laws Like This One
1 April 2019
Sydney Morning Herald, Opinion
Last Friday the leader of the Shooter, Fishers and Farmers Party, Robert Borsak, headed a press conference seeking to distance his party from One Nation. Borsak claimed his parties' gun policies are not as extreme as One Nation's and are more "dead centre".
Yet one only has to look at the impact the party has had on Australia's gun laws and the party's current and past gun policies to see that a different story emerges. In October 2017, Borsak told the Herald that he... (GunPolicy.org)
How the Gun Lobby Made NZ Less Safe
17 March 2019
Sydney Morning Herald, Opinion
Australians over 40 can identify with the grief gripping New Zealand just now. We felt it in the aftermath of the Port Arthur massacre in 1996, when 35 people were murdered and dozens more wounded at the popular holiday location in Tasmania. Just as in Christchurch, the Port Arthur killer was a 28-year-old loner with no criminal record armed with semi-automatic weapons.
A global outpouring of grief has come after at least 49 people were killed in a Christchurch mosque... (GunPolicy.org)
Short-comings Identified in NSW Police Gun Registry
28 February 2019
Guardian
The New South Wales firearms registry has "critical gaps" in its ability to track the location of guns in the state and the agency lacks the "appropriate policies and guidance" to make decisions such as suspending licences.
The state's auditor general has released a damning review of the gun control agency, finding significant shortcomings in its capacity to police firearms.
Released on Thursday, Margaret Crawford's report found that in some cases address details of... (GunPolicy.org)
Results of WA Gun Control Campaign
3 January 2019
West Australian (Perth)
Close to 7 per cent of WA gun owners targeted in a six-week operation recently were pinged by police for allegedly not storing guns properly.
Police charged 185 gun owners with non-compliance offences out of 2710 addresses checked, with officers alarmingly finding 26 firearms had been lost or stolen. About 400 firearms, including 28 handguns, were seized.
Seventy-two people were charged with 320 unrelated offences. Operation Bluesun Commander Jo McCabe said she was... (GunPolicy.org)
Tasmanian Gun Dealer Charged With Gun Trafficking
4 December 2018
The Advocate
Police laid more than 80 firearms charges against a 58-year-old Ulverstone man on Tuesday.
In a release, police said a "lengthy criminal investigation" led to the charges being laid, along with a suspension of the man's firearms dealer's license and his personal firearms license.
He has been charged with 12 counts of unregistered firearm possession, 54 counts of a licensed firearms dealer failing to keep records in an approved form and four counts of possessing... (GunPolicy.org)
Firearm Prohibition Orders Soar But Gun Crime Remains Stable
27 November 2018
Central Coast Gosford Express Advocate and Daily Telegraph
Firearm Prohibition Orders (FPOs) have exploded more than 650 per cent in the past three years [In NSW] but have had little discernible impact on gun offences, analysis of crime data reveals.
[Subscription-only article: refer to... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Central Coast Gosford Express Advocate and Daily Telegraph
NSW Authorities Collect 8,300 Firearms
25 October 2018
Advocate (Hobart) / Australian Associated Press
Police hope the 8300 weapons surrendered to NSW authorities during the latest gun amnesty will put a dent in the killing power of the state's criminals.
More than 1300 rifles, 400 shotguns and thousands of handguns were surrendered over the three months, NSW Police said on Thursday.
However, Australia-wide there are still more privately owned guns and illicit firearms in circulation today than ever before.
University of Sydney gunpolicy.org research estimates there... (GunPolicy.org)
Pro-gun Groups Used Ministerial Advisory Panel to Lobby Against Tighter Laws
20 October 2018
Guardian
Groups wanted former justice minister to recognise that 'lawful use of firearms can also have benefit to society'
Pro-gun groups used a ministerial advisory panel to lobby against mandatory 28-day cooling-off periods for firearms owners and to call for changes to the "genuine need" provisions which make up the backbone of Australia's gun laws.
Documents obtained by Guardian Australia under freedom of information laws reveal the former justice minister Michael Keenan... (GunPolicy.org)
Former Firearms Dealer Charged With Gun Trafficking
10 September 2018
Newcastle Herald (New South Wales)
A former licensed firearms dealer has been charged with 101 offences and police have seized more than 1180 guns as part of an investigation into organised crime.
In November 2015, the Criminal Groups Squad's Strike Force Raptor commenced an investigation into the activities of an organised criminal network operating across Sydney. Investigations concentrated on underworld killings with a focus on the bikie community.
As part of their extensive inquiries, Strike Force... (GunPolicy.org)
Global Gun Deaths Reach 250,000
29 August 2018
Australian (Sydney)
Gun deaths worldwide total about 250,000 yearly and the United States is among just six countries that make up half of those fatalities, a study has found.
The results from one of the most comprehensive analyses of firearm deaths reveal "a major public health problem for humanity," according to an editorial published with the study in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Although recent headlines make it seem like gun killings are surging globally, the new... (GunPolicy.org)
Aggressive Behaviour at Range Causes Discord for Sydney Gun Group Officials
21 August 2018
Guardian
Cyril Peel says concerns about 'aggressive behaviour' at firing range dismissed but group says he is a 'disgruntled' member
An official from Australia's largest gun group who was suspended after raising safety concerns at a Sydney firing range says it is "only a matter of time" until there is another mass shooting.
But the group says he is a "disgruntled member" and that the matter is being investigated.
Cyril Peel, a long-standing range officer from the Sydney... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Ownership Growing in Queensland
18 July 2018
Weekly Times
Gun ownership is on the rise in Queensland with the number of registered firearms increasing by more than 30 per cent in the past six years.
Police Minister Mark Ryan has revealed there were 844,129 firearms registered with police as of June 3 in response to a question on notice from the opposition.
It's a 30.09 per cent increase since 2013 when the total number of firearms registered with police was 648,852.
Mr Ryan says the increase can be largely put down to... (GunPolicy.org)
Would-be Murderer Granted Special Gun Training Permit Despite Red Flags
10 July 2018
Sydney Morning Herald
John Edwards, the man who shot his two children dead last Thursday, was able to pursue his handgun training because he was granted a so-called "Commissioner's Permit", overriding red flags raised by his answers on declarations about his background.
It is understood this permit reassured officials at the St Mary's Indoor Shooting Centre that Edwards could legally undergo handgun training - the first step towards getting a handgun licence and then a permit in NSW -... (GunPolicy.org)
NSW Licensing Procedures in Review After Family Murder
9 July 2018
Daily Telegraph (Sydney)
GUN clubs may be asked to report suspect shooters and GPs permitted to break client confidentiality to stop a repeat of an incident like John Edwards' savage slaying of his children.
The Daily Telegraph can reveal Police Commissioner Mick Fuller and Police Minister Troy Grant are holding crisis meetings today and "everything is on the table", including working more closely with the Family Court where children are identified as at risk.
Edwards, 67, was turned away... (GunPolicy.org)
NSW Vetting Process in Question After Family Murder
9 July 2018
Australian (Sydney)
The man who shot his two teenage children dead before killing himself in Sydney's northwest last week would have been individually interviewed several times to get two "quite powerful" handguns, experts say, as the NSW Police Minister comes under pressure to review gun control laws.
John Edwards would have been interviewed by a shooting club, a pistol club and police before he could buy the two firearms he used in last Thursday's attack, in which the 67-year-old... (GunPolicy.org)
Profile on Life and Work of Rebecca Peters
7 July 2018
Sydney Morning Herald
Flory Teletor was 17 when she began living with her boyfriend, Santo, in a cramped apartment in Guatemala City. Santo, who was 20, worked as a security guard. He was violent and controlling. He gave Flory a daily allowance of 20 quetzals ($3.50). She had to account for every cent; when she failed to do so, he would beat her. Sometimes, he would brandish the pistol he used for work, even shooting above her head. Flory was terrified, but she had already fled an abusive... (GunPolicy.org)
NSW Police Launch Drug and Gun Task Force
21 May 2018
Sky News (AUS)
NSW Police have established a new task force targeting drug supply and gun crime along the NSW North Coast.
The Northern Rivers Region Enforcement Squad will conduct investigations into drug supply, firearms offences, property crime and any criminal syndicates operating in the area.
The specialist police unit is one of four new regional squads announced for the state.
[NSW = New South... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Theft in Australia - ABC News
9 April 2018
ABC News (Australia)
The number of firearms stolen across Australia has almost doubled in the past decade, according to new figures.
The data, obtained by lobby group Gun Control Australia (GCA) under Freedom of Information (FOI) laws, reveal that almost 27,000 firearms have been reported as stolen across the country between 2007 and 2017.
The figures show that the number of gun thefts has increased from just over 1,700 in 2007-8 to nearly 3,300 in 2016-17.
Hunting rifles account for the... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia's Gun Laws Can't Work in America – For Now
30 March 2018
Georgetown Journal of International Affairs
Thirteen mass shootings in 18 years, 112 victims shot dead. While this may seem to describe contemporary America, it actually describes a late 20th-century period in Australia. The country's final slaughter occurred in Tasmania in 1996 – the Port Arthur massacre. A lone, "pathetic social misfit" – as described by the judge – killed 35 people. The first 29 bullets from this young man's AR-15 rifle ended the lives of 20 innocents in just 90 seconds.
For... (GunPolicy.org)
Australian Gun Laws Successful, Study Finds
13 March 2018
Australian (Sydney)
The gun laws enacted after the Port Arthur Massacre have unequivocally prevented mass shootings, a new study says.
The National Firearms Agreement was enacted after the 1996 tragedy in which 35 people were killed. The legislation included uniform gun registration, banned private gun sales and civilian ownership of semiautomatic weapons, removed self-defence as a reason to hold a firearm license and standardised penalties.
The University of Sydney study analysed... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia's Gun Destruction Prevented 16 Mass Shootings - Study
13 March 2018
Annals of Internal Medicine
Background: In 1996, after the Port Arthur massacre in Tasmania, the National Firearms Agreement was enacted across Australia. Provisions included uniform gun registration, repudiation of self-defense as a legitimate reason to hold a firearm licence, locked storage, a ban on private gun sales and civilian ownership of semiautomatic rifles and pump-action shotguns, and standardized penalties (1). Two buyback programs and 26 uncompensated amnesties between 1996 and 2015... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Advocate Leader Linked to Far-Right Anti-Immigrant Group
7 March 2018
Guardian
Special report: Firearm Owners United founder James Buckle attended United Patriots Front rallies
A pro-gun lobby group that helped to bankroll One Nation's push for seats in the Queensland state election has links to a far-right anti-Islam group whose leader once advocated for Adolf Hitler's portrait to be hung in classrooms.
As Australia's strict gun laws come under pressure from the gun lobby, a Guardian investigation has uncovered links between one pro-gun group... (GunPolicy.org)
Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa,Yemen,China,Israel,Russia,Brazil,United Kingdom,Germany,India,Canada,Austria,Australia,Mexico,United States,Japan,South Africa
How to Buy a Gun in 15 Countries
2 March 2018
New York Times
Many Americans can buy a gun in less than an hour. The process takes months in some countries. Here are the basic steps for how most people buy a gun in 15 of them. Many countries have exceptions for specialized professions, and local laws vary.
United States
1) Pass an instant background check that considers criminal convictions, domestic violence and immigration status.
2) Buy a gun. Many states have additional buying restrictions, including waiting periods and... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia's Underground Gun Problem: Hundreds Seized
26 February 2018
Australian Associated Press
- 869 illegal guns have been seized by Queensland police ahead of the Games
- The majority of the guns had been stolen from licensed gun owners
- 440 charges have been laid as a result, including drug trafficking and theft
- In some cases thieves are breaking down walls of houses to get to gun safes
Almost 900 weapons have been seized in Queensland this month as police attempt to reduce the number of illegal firearms and related offences ahead of the Commonwealth... (GunPolicy.org)
Tougher Gun Laws Pass Vic Upper House
6 February 2018
Australian Associated Press
Tougher gun laws targeting gang members, bikies and terrorists have passed Victoria's upper house.
Under the laws, police will be able to impose a firearm prohibition order on someone as young as 14, banning them from acquiring or carrying a gun and meaning they can be searched without a warrant.
The orders would target those with a history of crime, criminal association or who posed a risk to public safety.
The Andrews Labor government bill passed the Legislative... (GunPolicy.org)
More Guns Than Adults in Some Hunter, NSW Towns
31 January 2018
Sydney Morning Herald
The Hunter is gun mad - and proud of it - with shooters stockpiling almost 100,000 registered firearms.
A Fairfax Media investigation can reveal that the number of registered firearms in the region has increased by about 30,000 - or a third - in the past five years.
In 2012 there were almost 70,000 registered firearms in the Hunter, compared to 99,502 in July last year. This equates to, on average, an additional 16 guns per day.
In the same time, the number of people... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Investigate Hack of Guns Database
18 November 2017
Age (Melbourne)
Police are investigating the hacking of a gun club database that may have exposed where more than 1500 semi-automatic handguns are stored.
The private details of 540 members from the Port Melbourne club, including the types of weapons they owned, is believed to have been compromised this month, potentially exposing them to the theft of guns worth at least $5000 each on the black market.
Most members own multiple guns, and store them in their homes.
One Melbourne... (GunPolicy.org)
2017 Australian Gun Amnesty Results by Jurisdiction - SSAA
9 November 2017
Sporting Shooters' Association of Australia
The inclusion of gun dealers and an option to register or sell legal firearms has paved the way for high participation rates in the national firearms amnesty. The SSAA successfully lobbied the Federal Government to base the three-month amnesty on the successful Queensland version, with most states and territories adopting this proven model.
From the available data, it is clear the jurisdictions that allowed dealers to process firearms at gunshops and enabled licence... (GunPolicy.org)
The Gun Nuts In Our Parliament
14 October 2017
Saturday Paper (Australia)
While Australian gun laws are lauded as the world's most stringent, fringe political parties and lobbyists are doing their best to erode them.
Of course David Leyonhjelm is troubled by what happened in Las Vegas two weeks ago, when Stephen Paddock, with his arsenal of 23 guns and thousands of rounds of ammunition, carried out America's worst modern-day mass killing. Of course he finds it "disturbing".
From a distance of several hundred metres, high in the Mandalay... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Gun Data Shows Extent of Private Arsenals in Suburban Australia
11 October 2017
ABC News (Australia)
Private gun owners are stockpiling arsenals of more than 300 firearms in suburban homes in some parts of the country, according to new data obtained by the Greens.
Key points:
- Police data reveals the top 100 private arsenals across NSW
- In the Sydney suburb of La Perouse, one person owns 305 guns
- Greens MP David Shoebridge said the caches were "honeypots for criminals" and posed a risk to public safety
The trend is thought to be driving an overall increase in... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Ban Lowered Australian Firearm Deaths by Two-thirds
7 October 2017
Australian (Sydney), Fortune (USA), Opinion
Yet again, expressions of outrage about the Las Vegas massacre predictably are being matched by national despondency that no US government will lift a finger to prevent more of these happening.
Neither the largest gun death toll in US modern peacetime history (273 gun mass shootings in 275 days) culminating in the events of this week, nor the bullet-butchering of 20 six and seven-year-old children in Sandy Hook elementary school in Connecticut in 2012 apparently cut... (GunPolicy.org)
The Killer Quirk Hiding in Australia's Gun Laws
7 October 2017
Sydney Morning Herald
It has become part of the script of the larger American mass shootings. Amid the public expressions of grief and disbelief, the utterances of prayers and the tributes to the dead, Australian-style gun laws become, for a time, part of the American national debate.
The effectiveness of Australian-style gun laws has even crept into the diplomatic conversation. After she spoke with her American counterpart Rex Tillerson this week, Australia's Foreign Affairs Minister Julie... (GunPolicy.org)
Better Gun Laws? Australia Lacks That Calibre of MP Today
6 October 2017
Australian (Sydney), Opinion
The mass murder in Las Vegas this week was so horrific that Australians naturally responded with grief for the victims, revulsion toward the killer and despair at America's national paralysis on gun violence. Yet there was a secondary theme, understandable but unhelpful, in the fury at the inability of someone else's political system to reach a national agreement on a chronic problem. Some of the Australian voices sounded a little too smug.
Two decades after Australia... (GunPolicy.org)
Lobbyists Say States Should Be Allowed to Personalise NFA
6 October 2017
Queensland Country Life
There has been immediate condemnation of the findings of a report into Australia's gun laws, commissioned by Gun Control Australia.
The report, authored by Philip Alpers, an associate professor of public health at the University of Sydney, claimed that Australia's tough gun laws had been significantly watered down by state governments since they were introduced under the National Firearms Agreement in the days after the Port Arthur Massacre in 1996.
As well as... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia's Tough Gun Laws Weakened by the States - Report
5 October 2017
Sydney Morning Herald
Australia's tough gun laws have been significantly watered down by state governments since they were introduced under the National Firearms Agreement in the days after the Port Arthur Massacre in 1996, a new study has found.
According to the research by Philip Alpers, an associate professor of public health at the University of Sydney, all Australian states have succumbed to pressure from gun owners or the parties that represent them to water down some aspects of the... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia's Firearms Amnesty Collects More Than 50,000 Guns
5 October 2017
Guardian
More than 50,000 firearms will be destroyed after being handed in during the three-month national firearms amnesty.
The final figures, released on Friday, showed that the number of surrendered firearms doubled in the final month of the amnesty from 25,999 to 51,461 by 30 September.
Almost half were surrendered in New South Wales, which received 24,965 firearms despite collecting a further 67,323 in three other gun amnesties since the first national one in... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia Ranked Among World's Major Gun Importers, Exporters
21 September 2017
Sydney Morning Herald
Australia is now ranked as one of the world's major gun importers, coming sixth in the United Nations-sponsored annual global Small Arms Survey, high enough to see it categorised in the top tier of gun importers.
Australia was also revealed to be the 13th-largest exporter in the world and ranked 25th in the transparency of its arms trade, scoring 12 out of a possible 25 in the survey's transparency barometer.
As an importer Australia came in behind the United States,... (GunPolicy.org)
Australians Turn In 12,500 Guns as National Amnesty Opens
11 August 2017
New York Times
SYDNEY, Australia — The first numbers for the National Gun Amnesty are in, and more than 12,500 unregistered firearms have been surrendered since it started last month, Michael Keenan, the minister for justice, announced on Thursday.
The amnesty, which is running from July 1 to Sept. 30, allows people to hand unwanted or unregistered firearms over to the police and to licensed firearm dealers without fear of prosecution. Ordinarily, the possession of an unregistered... (GunPolicy.org)
Mechanic Smuggled Thureon 'AR-15s' from US to Australia
14 July 2017
Herald Sun (Melbourne)
A black market weapons dealer who imported lethal US machine guns police say are designed for killing people is staring down the barrel of a lengthy jail term.
Paul Munro, 63, pleaded guilty to importing Thureon fully automatic rifles — which can fire 1000 rounds per minute — and firearms parts and frames into Australia in the two years to March 2015.
The County Court heard on Friday that the weapons the former mechanic imported landed in the hands of violent... (GunPolicy.org)
Latest Australian Gun Amnesty in Full Swing — But Why?
12 July 2017
New York Times
On July 1, the government introduced the National Firearms Amnesty — a three-month program that will give Australians the chance to hand in unregistered firearms without consequence or cost.
Australia is a different country now, but it's important to remember: Over 18 years starting in the late 1970s, there were 13 mass shootings. The deadliest was the Port Arthur massacre in Tasmania, which killed 35 people in 1996. That year, the relatively new prime minister, John... (GunPolicy.org)
2017 Amnesty Will Yield Questionable Results in Australia
18 June 2017
The Conversation
After 18 months of false starts, Australia is about to hold another gun amnesty for three months from July 1.
Last week, Justice Minister Michael Keenan claimed the amnesty would take illegal guns off Australian streets. He went on to link the amnesty with terrorism, citing the Lindt Cafe siege and the murder of Curtis Cheng as examples.
In a time when the spectre of terrorism is increasingly used as both a shield to prevent scrutiny of policies and a sword to attack... (GunPolicy.org)
A National Amnesty Will Not Rid Australia of Violent Gun Crime - Samara McPhedran
18 June 2017
The Conversation, Opinion
After 18 months of false starts, Australia is about to hold another gun amnesty for three months from July 1.
Last week, Justice Minister Michael Keenan claimed the amnesty would take illegal guns off Australian streets. He went on to link the amnesty with terrorism, citing the Lindt Cafe siege and the murder of Curtis Cheng as examples.
In a time when the spectre of terrorism is increasingly used as both a shield to prevent scrutiny of policies and a sword to attack... (GunPolicy.org)
397 Charges for Former Sydney Gun Dealer
2 June 2017
Australian Associated Press
A former Sydney firearms dealer has been charged with almost 400 firearms and explosives offences including charges related to unregistered and unsecured weapons.
The 71-year-old man was charged on Wednesday after a two-year multi-agency investigation into a former dealership in Terrey Hills, during which a number of firearms and explosive material, including gunpowder were seized, although 78 firearms remain unaccounted for, police said.
The man has been charged with... (GunPolicy.org)
At What Age Is a Child Permitted to Fire a Gun in Australia?
4 May 2017
ABC News (Australia)
Despite the National Firearms Agreement which passed in just 12 days in response to the Port Arthur Massacre in 1996, there is no one national gun law and no single age at which a child can use a firearm across the states and territories.
Roanan Cornish was 12 years old when he first used a firearm.
The thirteen-year-old, who lives on a farm just outside of Bendigo in central Victoria, learned how to correctly handle a .22 calibre rifle as part of a firearm safety... (GunPolicy.org)
Australian Gun Lobbyists Push for Higher Calibre IPSC Pistols
28 April 2017
Canberra Times (Australia)
A firearms group will lobby the ACT government to allow sport shooters to use larger calibre target pistols in official competitions.
Australian Firearms Management Lobby Group recently registered on the ACT's lobbyist register.
Its head, William John Wilcher said the registration was unrelated to the ACT's recent move to restrict rapid fire lever action shotguns.
"The lobby group is not engaged in an way, shape or form to lobby in respect to lever action shotguns,... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Shop Loses 130 Handguns to Thieves in Western Australia
24 March 2017
ABC News (Australia)
Western Australia's Police Commissioner is calling for tighter regulations affecting gun stores and owners following the "highly organised" theft of 130 handguns from a Perth store.
But gun lobby groups have dismissed his comments, saying WA is already the most regulated state in Australia and any further controls would be overkill.
It comes after police revealed 130 handguns including revolvers and semi-automatics were stolen from Barry and Son Firearms in Beckenham... (GunPolicy.org)
Firearm Dealer Theft Worth $650,000 on Black Market - ABC News
22 March 2017
ABC News (Australia)
More than 100 handguns have been stolen from a firearms store in Perth's southern suburbs, with police describing the theft as a highly organised heist and saying there could be "disastrous" consequences.
Police said 130 handguns including revolvers and semi-automatics were stolen from Barry and Son Firearms in Beckenham on the night of March 11.
The guns are valued at about $5,000 each on the black market, taking the total value of the stolen firearms to... (GunPolicy.org)
Australian Gun Group Targeted Ruling Parties With $45,000
19 March 2017
Sunday Telegraph (Sydney)
A pro-gun group appointed to advise the federal government on its national firearms agreement donated more than $45,000 to the Liberal and National parties last year.
Less than a year after the Shooting Industry Foundation of Australia (SIFA) was established, the group was appointed to the government's Firearms Industry Reference Group (FIRG) to provide advice on technical elements of the National Firearms Agreement.
Adler shotgun importer Robert Nioa, the... (GunPolicy.org)
US Agencies Help Stop Smuggling of 5000 Guns to Australia
16 March 2017
News Corp Australia Network
The largest ever shipment of guns organised by bikie gangs and bound for Australia has been stopped in the US and seized by police as the crackdown on outlaw motorcycle clubs intensifies.
The almost 5000-strong shipment of handguns and automatic rifles was nabbed late last year before reaching Australian shores as part of a joint investigation between federal, state and international policing agencies.
News Corp Australia can exclusively reveal the operations leading... (GunPolicy.org)
Shooters Union of Queensland Analysis of NFA 2017
10 March 2017
Shooters Union Australia, Blog
Following the release of the 2017 version of the National Firearms Agreement, Shooters Union had a look at the document, comparing it to the 1996 version, understanding what the clauses mean and looking at what legislation has to change to enact the NFA.
Being largely a re-hash of the 1996 NFA, all of the restrictive, discriminatory clauses remain and then some. Even the provisions from 1996 that have been proven to be unworkable in the intervening years, have been... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Lobby Donated $350,000 to Australian Politicians in a Year
15 February 2017
Guardian
Australian political parties accepted more than $300,000 in donations over 12 months from the firearms lobby, gun suppliers and manufacturers, sparking concern among gun control groups.
An analysis of the latest Australian Electoral Commission donation disclosures by Gun Control Australia has revealed that firearms groups donated $353,000 to various federal political bodies around the country. The donations were made in the 2015-16 financial year, during a period when... (GunPolicy.org)
Most Illegal Guns Smuggled to Australia Arrive as Parts
6 February 2017
Australian (Sydney)
Sophisticated arms smuggling involving sending individual components of guns through regular international mail and reassembling them here has become the conduit of choice for Australian criminals engaged in the illicit trade.
The Australian Border Force revealed to The Australian two major busts of alleged illegal firearm operations in recent days, in Queensland and NSW, one involving semi-automatic weapons.
The border watchdog says the arrests demonstrate its... (GunPolicy.org)
Operation Talon: Focused on tackling gun-crime in Sydney
3 February 2017
NSW Government, Web page
Operation Talon is a new, unified and centrally-controlled operation solely focused on tackling gun-crime in Sydney.
Operation Talon will draw resources from across the entire NSW Police Force in order to get guns off our streets.
Operation Talon intends to hunt down and arrest anyone who believes it is okay to shoot a gun in a Sydney street.
In addition to arresting the people involved in gun-crime, Operation Talon aims to locate and seize the illegal firearms,... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Owners' Addresses Revealed in Simple Privacy Blunder
28 December 2016
Sydney Morning Herald
Dozens of home addresses of gun owners have been easily obtained in a simple privacy blunder that a veteran police officer fears may be utilised by thieves.
The treasure trove of addresses has been discovered by simple online searches of publicly available information. It has prompted a warning from NSW Police's Firearms Squad to "use common sense when providing personal details in conjunction with information about firearms".
A gun owner and veteran police officer,... (GunPolicy.org)
Oceania,Africa,Americas,Asia,Europe,Australia
Lo Sentimos, Pero Gun Policy News Debe Cerrar [ES]
3 December 2016
GunPolicy.org, Letter
Estimados lectores,
Siempre ha sido una batalla mantener a Gun Policy News online. Nuestros boletines diarios de noticias comenzaron hace 18 años, pero 40.000 artículos más tarde me he visto obligado a dejar ir a nuestro personal multilingüe, simplemente por falta de fondos.
Hoy, me temo que todos los servidores de Twitter, páginas de Facebook, grupos de correo electrónico y los servidores de noticias RSS de Gun Policy News a numerosos lectores en español,... (GunPolicy.org)
Australian Gun Owners Lose 3,000 Guns to Thieves Each Year
29 November 2016
Guardian
More than 6000 guns have been reported stolen across Australia over two years and there are fears they are flowing into the illicit firearms market.
Figures obtained under freedom of information from each state by Gun Control Australia showed 6451 guns were stolen between 2013 and 2015.
Most of those guns were stolen in rural and regional areas from homes or rural dwellings including farm houses.
Most thefts occurred in Victoria where 1451 were stolen in the two-year... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Find '3D-Printed Submachine Gun' Factory in Australia
23 November 2016
Guardian, Australian Associated Press
A highly sophisticated weapons production facility using 3D printers and computers to make machine guns has been uncovered in a series of raids across the Gold Coast.
Police say they found four homemade automatic submachine guns, silencers, ammunition, a replica handgun, a .45 calibre pistol and equipment used to make weapons at two Nerang businesses, as well as a pill press.
The equipment used to make the weapons included computers, a 3D printer, drill presses and... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Raid 'First of its Kind' Illegal Gun Factory in Australia
23 November 2016
Brisbane Times (Queensland)
Police say sophisticated gun factory found during raids at the Gold Coast on Friday is the first of its kind in Queensland.
Officers executed search warrants on four residential properties and two industrial sheds finding drug labs, a weapons factory, drugs, guns, ammunition and 3D printer.
The guns found included four "uzi-style" submachine guns, three silencers and two handguns while drugs seized included steroids, cannabis, ecstasy and amphetamines.
Five people... (GunPolicy.org)
Australian Man Charged With Smuggling Handgun Parts by Mail
17 November 2016
Sydney Morning Herald
A Mildura man has been charged with importing handgun parts in the mail.
Australian Border Force officers intercepted seven packages from the US and Hong Kong addressed to 34-year-old Hanh Truong between November 6 to November 9.
The packages were labelled as toys or model parts, but X-rays at the Australia Post gateway facility in Tullamarine revealed they actually contained firearm parts and handgun frames, a Border Force spokesman said.
Border Force and police... (GunPolicy.org)
Many Australian Domestic Abusers Get Their Guns Back
8 November 2016
Sydney Morning Herald
Scores of Victorians who had firearm licences revoked after being accused of stalking and beating their partners were handed their guns back last year, raising fears women are being put at real risk of harm or death at the hands of violent ex-partners.
According to previously unpublished data, 87 people who'd previously been banned from owning or using a firearm were granted approval by the courts to have their firearm licences reinstated in 2015-16, a rate of more... (GunPolicy.org)
Over 100 Controversial Adler Shotguns Registered in Tasmania
6 November 2016
Mercury (Tasmania)
More than 100 five-shot Adler shotguns are registered in Tasmania, Police Minister Rene Hidding has divulged.
And a simple "do it yourself" kit available online can see the five-shot 12 gauge converted into an 11-round rapid fire shotgun.
It follows concerns by anti-gun advocates about the number of firearms in Tasmania and the proliferation of small arsenals across the state.
The Adler lever-action shotgun rose to notoriety after its Turkish manufacturer released a... (GunPolicy.org)
New Legal Guns in Tasmania Jumped from 57 to 1500 in 2016
5 November 2016
Mercury (Tasmania)
Almost 1500 extra firearms have come into Tasmania over the past year — a massive jump from the previous 12 months when there were just 57.
It comes as police figures show some owners are stockpiling firearms across the state.
Anti-gun activists say the figures are alarming but firearm owners say there is nothing to fear.
About 100 individuals, excluding collectors or dealers, possess arsenals of 20 or more firearms, according to the data.
The largest registered... (GunPolicy.org)
Australian Cross-Party MPs Form Gun Control Group
3 November 2016
Sydney Morning Herald
Federal MPs from both sides of the political divide have pledged to protect John Howard's legacy through the establishment of the Parliamentary Friends of Gun Control.
Liberal John Alexander, who occupies Mr Howard's former seat of Bennelong, and Labor's Andrew Leigh have formed the group just weeks after the issue of guns was thrust back into the political spotlight via the uproar over the lever-action Adler shotgun.
The group was the idea of the Alannah & Madeline... (GunPolicy.org)
Germany,Australia,New Zealand,Japan,Switzerland,France,Poland,Iraq
German Ammo Sales Up Tenfold, €4 Billion Arms Sales in 2016
25 October 2016
Mo4ch (US)
Germany's small arms ammunition sales have increased by 10 times in the first 6 months of 2016, while total arms sales have reached €4 billion over the same period and have set a new record, Deutsche-Presse Agentur (DPA) says, citing a government report.
The total value of the small arms ammo export contracts has risen from €27 million ($29.3 million) in the first half of 2015 to €283.8 million ($308 million) in the first six months of 2016, the reports says,... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia Justice Minister Said Consulting Only With Gun Lobby
24 October 2016
Guardian
A group of 30 domestic violence groups, gun control advocates, politicians and prominent Australians has criticised the federal justice minister, Michael Keenan, for holding "one-sided" meetings in 2015 with the firearms lobby on changes to Australia's gun laws.
Minutes from the firearms reference industry group obtained by Guardian Australia show Keenan told firearms lobby groups in a private meeting in September 2015 that the government wanted to cut "red tape" from... (GunPolicy.org)
Recent Gun Figures from Australia's CrimTrac Lack Credibility
21 October 2016
University of Sydney Media Release, Media release
University of Sydney gun policy expert, Associate Professor Philip Alpers has questioned the accuracy of registered
firearms data published by CrimTrac, the federal agency responsible for counting gun owners and their firearms.
In Table 2.23 at page 63 of its 2015-16 Annual Report, the following conclusions seem to lack credibility:
- An increase of 1.2 million registered firearms in Australia in the past three years
- A sudden decrease of 900,000 registered... (GunPolicy.org)
Australian Gun Lobby, Leyonhjelm Shot Themselves in the Foot
21 October 2016
The New Daily (Australia)
Adler Arms Corp, the Turkish manufacturer of the A110 lever-action rapid-fire 12 gauge shotgun, will not legally be entitled to distribute its product to Australian consumers for the indefinite future.
After assembled state and Commonwealth ministers failed to reach consensus on Friday about an appropriate risk assessed classification for the Adler, it appears the gun lobby, in particular Liberal Democrat cross bench Senator David Leyonhjelm has shot itself in the... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia to Launch New National Gun Amnesty in 2017 [ES]
21 October 2016
El Nuevo Herald, Associated Press
[Translated summary: Australia will allow owners to hand in illegal firearms without penalty, from the middle of 2017. The amnesty will be the first national long gun amnesty since the 1996 buyback in response to a mass shooting that left 35 dead. The Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission reported that there could be 300-600,000 unregistered firearms.]
CANBERRA -- Australia permitirá a los propietarios de armas entregar armas de fuego ilegales sin ser... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia Agrees to First National Gun Amnesty in 20 Years
21 October 2016
Associated Press
Australia will allow gun owners to hand in illegal firearms without penalty next year as concerns grow over gun crimes involving such weapons, a federal minister said Friday.
Australia's police and justice ministers agreed at a meeting to start a nationwide gun amnesty from the middle of 2017, Justice Minister Michael Keenan said.
"Australia is world-renowned for the strength of our firearm laws, but illegal firearms do remain a deadly weapon of choice for organized... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia Gun Laws: Which Way Will We Go? - Guardian OpEd
21 October 2016
Guardian, Opinion
On Friday, the state police ministers will meet to finalise the review of the National Firearms Agreement (NFA) including the fate of the Adler A110 lever-action shotgun.
The importance of this meeting should not be underestimated. In summary, the ministers are deciding the future direction of Australia's gun laws. A future that could see the demise of Australia's strong gun laws and the continual rise of the pro-gun lobby.
One issue which the states and commonwealth... (GunPolicy.org)
Licensed Gun Owners Stockpiling Extra Weapons in Australia
21 October 2016
Advertiser (Adelaide)
Licensed gun owners are stockpiling extra weapons and more than a million guns have been registered since 2012 – about the same number that were destroyed in the wake of Port Arthur, The Advertiser can reveal.
The official figures come amid fierce debate on guns in Canberra yesterday, where embattled Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull strongly rebuked his predecessor, Tony Abbott.
Senator David Leyonhjelm threw a grenade by saying he had a deal with the Coalition to... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia,Afghanistan,Russia,Central Asia,Pakistan,China,Turkey,Brazil
UN Rule of Thumb Suggests 600,000 Illegal Guns in Australia
21 October 2016
Age (Melbourne)
As many as 600,000 illegal guns could be circulating in the Australian underworld, but national efforts to control the spread is being hampered by inconsistencies between states, a firearms intelligence report has found.
The Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission report on guns - to be released on Friday, the same day as state and federal government representatives meet to thrash out a way to combat illegal firearms - also backs a national amnesty.
Chris Dawson,... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia Extends Ban on Adler Rapid-fire Lever Action Shotgun
20 October 2016
ABC News (Australia)
Police ministers met in Melbourne this morning to consider a new classification for the lever-action shotgun.
There is currently a ban in place on Adler shotguns that have a magazine capacity of more than five rounds.
The ABC understands concerns were raised that tightened restrictions on the seven-shot Adler would struggle to pass Parliament in certain states.
The Australian Federal Police and Justice Minister Michael Keenan said there was a "majority" view but that... (GunPolicy.org)
Three Million Legal, 300-600,000 Illegal Guns in Australia?
20 October 2016
Herald Sun (Melbourne)
Australians are now armed with almost three million legal firearms and up to 600,000 illegal ones.
The alarmingly high number of illicit weapons has triggered the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission to signal it is time for a crackdown.
It has used a new report on illicit firearms to give support to the creation of a national program to encourage gun toting Aussies to surrender or register their illegal weapons.
Justice Minister Michael Keenan will be leading... (GunPolicy.org)
New Australian Gun Ban Hits Rapid-fire Shotgun - NY Times
19 October 2016
New York Times, Associated Press
Australia's tough gun controls will be further tightened to restrict access to new rapid-fire shotguns, the prime minister said Wednesday.
But a pro-gun independent senator warned Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull that the move will add to the government's difficulty in getting legislation through the Senate.
Turnbull was commenting on the fate of the Adler A110 shotgun, a Turkish-manufactured lever-action weapon that was banned from importation last year as an... (GunPolicy.org)
Adler Shotgun Explainer: Lever Actions and the Law in Australia
19 October 2016
Guardian
Gun control in Australia has been thrust into the political spotlight once again as reports emerge that Malcolm Turnbull may be willing to consider relaxing Australia's firearms laws.
The reports appear to focus on softening restrictions on lever-action shotguns in exchange for support from the Liberal Democrat senator David Leyonhjelm to pass industrial relations legislation.
National firearms laws created after the Port Arthur massacre in 1996 set out how weapons... (GunPolicy.org)
Tough Gun Laws Averted Massacres - Another Ex-Australia PM
19 October 2016
Guardian
Tony Abbott has challenged Malcolm Turnbull directly on gun regulation, warning Australia has avoided a mass casualty event because "it is very hard to get guns".
Abbott's intervention came as the West Australian premier, Colin Barnett, said he did not support lifting the ban on the Adler lever-action shotgun, putting him at odds with New South Wales, which is backing a push to allow the importation of a seven-shot version of the firearm.
The persistent standoff... (GunPolicy.org)
Winding Back Gun Laws a Risk to Australia, Says Foundation
19 October 2016
Guardian
One of Australia's most prominent children's charities has urged the attorney general, George Brandis, and police ministers across the country not to wind back gun restrictions that could allow people to obtain an "unlimited" number of pump action or semi-automatic shotguns.
The Alannah & Madeline Foundation, which was established by Walter Mikac in memory of his two children Alannah and Madeline who were killed in the Port Arthur massacre in 1996, has written an... (GunPolicy.org)
Australian PM Under Fire As 'Guns For Votes' Row Explodes
19 October 2016
Australian (Sydney)
A political storm over "guns for votes" has forced Malcolm Turnbull to rule out weakening import bans on lethal weapons after the release of emails showing the government raised the prospect of phasing out a ban on a controversial shotgun in return for a key vote in the Senate.
The damaging row overshadowed Mr Turnbull's push in parliament for curbs on union power as Labor accused the government of destroying the legacy of John Howard's tough gun controls, imposed two... (GunPolicy.org)
NSW Police Credit Lower Gun Crime to Warrantless Searches
16 October 2016
Sydney Morning Herald
Whether it was driving to university or down the road with his wife, odds were Youseff Hamze was about to be pulled over.
The sports science graduate lost count of the amount of times his car was searched during the several months he was subject to a wrongfully-issued firearms prohibition order (FPO).
"Where ever I would go, I would be pulled over," said the 26-year-old, whose relatives included members of the now-defunct Brothers for Life gang.
"They searched my... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia Prepares New Gun Amnesty as City Shootings Rise
26 September 2016
Nikkei Asian Review
SYDNEY -- A crazed gunman shot dead 35 people at Port Arthur, a historic tourist site in the Australian island state of Tasmania in April 1996, prompting then-Prime Minister John Howard to outlaw military-style assault weapons and introduce a gun buyback scheme as part of a tough set of national firearm laws.
Australia's gun homicide and suicide rates have both fallen markedly in the intervening 20 years and there have been no mass shootings (defined as five or more... (GunPolicy.org)
Has Australia Become Complacent About Gun Control?
21 September 2016
Huffington Post (Australia)
It's been 20 years since the Port Arthur massacre, and the landmark gun control legislation introduced by the Howard government soon after. Two decades on from the buy back scheme which saw 700,000 guns taken off streets and destroyed, the Australian Greens have named senator Lee Rhiannon as their new gun control spokesperson. It is a new portfolio for the party, and Rhiannon herself said she wasn't sure if any other party had named a specific gun control portfolio... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia Mulls More Gun Control as Gun Crimes Spike - NRA
20 September 2016
America's First Freedom
Hillary Clinton has said Australia's 1996 gun ban—and subsequent confiscation and destruction of over 650,000 guns from pump shotguns to rimfire .22 rifles from lawful people like you—is an idea "worth considering on the national level."
Australians beg to differ.
Today, 20 years after Australia's gun ban, gun crime is skyrocketing in Melbourne, Australia's second-largest city. And now politicians are talking about passing new gun-control laws to further disarm... (GunPolicy.org)
Criminal Gun Misuse in Australia Reveals Gun Law Limitations
16 September 2016
NRA Institute for Legislative Action
While anti-gun politicians like Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama tout Australia's gun control laws as a model for the United States, recent reporting on crime in Melbourne from newspaper The Age revealed the limitations of Australia's stringent laws. According to the paper, "Despite Australia's strict gun control regime, criminals are now better armed than at any time since then-Prime Minister John Howard introduced a nationwide firearm buyback scheme in response to the... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia Amnesty Hopes to Recover Thousands of Illegal Guns
14 September 2016
Sydney Morning Herald
Justice Minister Michael Keenan says he expects that at least "thousands" of illegal guns to be handed over in a planned national firearms amnesty.
But the nature of the illicit market meant it was hard to know how many owners of illegal guns would actually be prepared to give them up, as opposed to serious criminals who will want to hang onto their weapons, he said.
Mr Keenan has confirmed Fairfax Media reports on Wednesday that the federal government will soon nail... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia Plans New National Gun Amnesty, Tougher Penalties
14 September 2016
Guardian
The Turnbull government will begin a national gun amnesty after a wave of gun-related crime across the country. It also plans to increase penalties for gun smuggling.
The justice minister, Michael Keenan, said the gun amnesty had the support of the Nationals and would allow Australians to hand in illegal guns without penalty. It would not be a buyback.
He said the details of the amnesty were yet to be worked out but had in-principle support from his state and... (GunPolicy.org)
Chasing a Silver Bullet: How Melbourne Became a Gun City (3)
13 September 2016
Age (Melbourne)
He was 22 years old the first time he got caught with a gun. Police chased him down on foot and recovered a stash of drugs and a revolver. He was charged and released on bail.
Five months later, he would be caught with more drugs and another gun - this time a .22 calibre semi-automatic pistol.
For these crimes, he got nine months jail and a community corrections order.
Angelo's* next run in with the law - five months after his release from prison - would see the now... (GunPolicy.org)
New National Gun Amnesty to Be Announced in Australia
13 September 2016
Age (Melbourne)
State and federal ministers and attorney-generals requested an amnesty be considered by senior officials in the National Justice and Policing Senior Officials Group last year.
These officials gave a unanimous in-principle support for an amnesty last month.
State ministers must agree to proceed, however, support for an amnesty is strong and it is understood the timing will be settled before the end of the year.
Victoria's Police Minister Lisa Neville said the state... (GunPolicy.org)
Surge in Melbourne Gun Crimes Calls for a New Gun Buyback
12 September 2016
Age (Melbourne), Editorial
"Melbourne is in the grip of an unprecedented wave of gun violence." With these words, The Age this week began a three-day investigative series that should concern every citizen of a metropolis that has repeatedly snared the accolade of "world's most liveable city".
Our comprehensive package is about more than liveability; it is a matter of life and death. As gun-related crime has surged, innocent people have been killed in the crossfire, and more will be unless... (GunPolicy.org)
Australian Gun Owners Shoot Effigy of Gun Control Activist
12 September 2016
ABC News (Australia)
Police have been asked to investigate footage of a man shooting and setting alight an effigy of Gun Control Australia leader Sam Lee.
The YouTube video shows two gun enthusiasts customising and demonstrating a controversial Adler lever action shotgun.
The video then cuts to a blonde doll, dubbed "Sham Leigh from Fun Control Australia".
The doll is shot multiple times until the head blows apart, which is then replayed in slow motion. The effigy is then set... (GunPolicy.org)
Suburban Gunslingers: How Melbourne Became a Gun City (2)
12 September 2016
Age (Melbourne)
Rachad Adra was lying in bed with his four-year-old son when bullets ripped through the front of his Thomastown house.
Fired from the street, they travelled through a window, a front room and through an inside wall before tearing into Adra's flesh, killing him. Neighbours heard the screams of his young son, who was seriously injured.
Ten months on, the rental house in Melbourne's north-west is vacant, and while the bullet-riddled glass has been replaced, the blinds... (GunPolicy.org)
Young, Dumb & Armed: How Melbourne Became a Gun City (1)
12 September 2016
Age (Melbourne)
Sunday at the south-side club is gangster night. The blokes in streetwear - G Star Raw, Adidas, Louis Vuitton man-bags - the women in not much.
It's an exhibition of murky trades: drug dealers, bikies, standover men, the underworld's rising stars and wannabes.
They come from across the city to party and be seen, sweeping into the sprawling neon-lit club like royalty.
The ones flush with cash can spend big to get a VIP booth above the action, while the up-and-comers... (GunPolicy.org)
Police in Australia Seize Guns Linked to US Crime Syndicate
2 September 2016
ABC News (Australia)
Police in Victoria and New South Wales have seized 300 weapons and gun parts in a haul they say has cracked down on a major crime syndicate importing weapons from the United States.
The international operation has led to firearms charges being laid against two men.
Police said there might be further arrests as their investigations continue.
The joint federal, state and international operation was sparked 15 months ago in Victoria when a military-style assault rifle... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Seizure in US Prevented Illegal Trafficking to #Australia
2 September 2016
Age (Melbourne)
A cache of illegal guns has been seized by state, federal and US authorities as part of an investigation to tackle an international weapons operation.
Investigations began after an armed robbery at a western suburbs McDonald's 15 months ago, where a Thureon AR-15 assault rifle was used.
That weapon was then "backtracked" by police, which helped prevent a large consignment of weapons being imported to Australia.
In June, US officials seized six fully automatic assault... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia: 'Massacre Tax' Suggested to Curb US Gun Exports
26 August 2016
Stuff (New Zealand)
Australia's former deputy prime minister, Tim Fischer, has proposed what is surely a world-first plan for shooting down the gun-loving US Republican candidate for president, Donald Trump: a "massacre tax" on US gun exports.
In doing so, Fischer has also come out all guns blazing against what he calls the "lethal poison" flowing to Australia from US weapons manufacturers with the assistance of the American gun lobby and what he calls dysfunctional and corrupted US... (GunPolicy.org)
Australian Police Refuse Permit for 'Military Style' Sniper Rifle
25 August 2016
ABC News (Australia)
Canberra shooting groups are calling for a change to ACT laws that allow firearm permits to be refused based on the appearance of a gun, rather than its function.
A Canberra man this week had a permit refused for a large hunting rifle as it resembles a military weapon.
The ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal (ACAT) ruled the Barrett M98B .338 Lapua Magnum bolt-action rifle met technical specifications for a permit, but too closely resembled a weapon designed for... (GunPolicy.org)
Australian Former Trade Minister Proposes Gun Levy on US
25 August 2016
Australian (Sydney)
If a President Trump rips up trade agreements and takes the US out of the World Trade Organisation, Australia and other nations should retaliate by imposing a "gun safety" levy on America matched to the level of massacres there, says former trade minister Tim Fischer.
The former Nationals leader and deputy prime minister will use a speech today to warn that a Donald Trump presidency would be a disaster for world trade.
"Donald Trump spells disaster not only re world... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,China,Germany,United Kingdom,France,Russia,Spain,Italy,Israel,India,Saudi Arabia,United Arab Emirates,Pakistan,Australia,Turkey,Singapore,South Korea,South Sudan,Ukraine
Killer Facts: The Scale of the Global Arms Trade, Gun Totals
22 August 2016
Amnesty International (London)
Transfers of heavy conventional weapons
The top 10 exporters of conventional arms (excluding small arms/ light weapons – SALW) 2010-15
USA: US$55.006 billion
Russia: US$42.404 billion
China: US$9.943 billion
Germany: US$ 9.467 billion
France: US$ 8.932 billion
UK: US$ 7.627 billion
Spain: US$ 5.310 billion
Italy: US$ 4.360 billion
Ukraine: US$ 4.156 billion
Israel: US$ 3.280 billion
The top 10 importers of conventional arms (excluding SALWs) 2010-15
India:... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia: Special Officers to Carry Guns After 10 Wks Training
17 August 2016
West Australian (Perth)
Armed special constables with the power to use "lethal force" will replace fully fledged police as the first line of defence at Parliament and other key State Government buildings.
WA Police is advertising for 40 so-called Protective Service Officers for the security role, freeing up highly trained officers who currently do the work to return to frontline duties.
The PSOs will wear uniforms similar to those worn by police and carry a full range of accoutrements... (GunPolicy.org)
Australian Gun Lobby Notices That Knives Kill More Than Guns
12 August 2016
Sporting Shooters' Association of Australia
While the Australian Bureau of Statistics fights off a wave of criticism surrounding the bungled 2016 National Census, the SSAA Legislative Action (SSAA-LA) department has been analysing the latest homicide statistics. The Recorded Crime - Victims, Australia, 2015 report released in July shows that knives and beatings remain the common methods used in homicide. The figures indicate this is nearly double the number of times firearms are used, disproving anti-gun... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexican Cartels Infiltrate Australia With Illegal Guns, Drugs
12 August 2016
Sporting Shooters' Association of Australia, Media release
Mexican drug cartels on a mission to expand their networks are actively pursuing once unreachable countries like Australia to peddle illicit drugs and firearms. It sounds like a script for a Hollywood crime thriller but a new report has revealed this is the harsh reality our island nation must face. The findings come as anti-gun lobbyists and Green-leaning politicians continue to criticise theft from licensed owners for contributing to a growing black market, while... (GunPolicy.org)
Adler Shotgun Ban Must Be Broader, Gun Control Australia Says
1 August 2016
Guardian
An extended government ban on the Adler A110 shotgun won't stop use of "DIY kits" to enhance the firepower of similar weapons that have been approved, leading to renewed calls for the ban to be broadened.
Last week the justice minister, Michael Keenan, announced an extension of a one-year ban on the importation of the Adler A110 shotgun.
The ban was initiated in 2015 amid growing concerns about rapid-fire weaponry into Australia, as the state and federal governments... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia Targets 'Darkweb' Gun Sales With $25.4 Million Fund
27 July 2016
Gizmodo (Australia)
The Federal Government has announced a $25.4 million funding injection into the detection and seizure of illegal firearms, including "specialised intelligence software tools" aimed at boosting intelligence collection on international firearms trafficking.
The software will and allow the Australian Federal Police to search, analyse and map intelligence data to identify previously unknown links between firearms traffickers and their suppliers, customers and illegal... (GunPolicy.org)
Former Australian Nightclub Owner Smuggled Guns, Steroids
6 July 2016
Courier (Australia)
The former owner of the Ballarat's controversial Haida nightclub has faced court for importing drugs of dependence, portions of guns and ammunition from the Philippines.
Tony Henderson, faced the Ballarat Magistrates in June faced with a string of historic charges including importing tier two goods such as portions of firearms, ammunition, human growth hormones, steroids and gun magazines.
The court heard Henderson was sent various pieces of a gun, including a pistol... (GunPolicy.org)
Australian Massacre Father Warns Against Rapid-fire Shotgun
26 June 2016
Herald Sun (Melbourne)
Walter Mikac has warned more people would have died in the Lindt Cafe terror attack if the perpetrator had been able to access rapid-fire shotgun now flooding the Australian market.
The gun control campaigner, whose wife and two girls died in the Port Arthur massacre, said gun manufacturers had built a shotgun which deliberately exploited loopholes in tough Australian laws.
More than 7000 Adler A110 lever-action shotguns have been sold into Australia, categorised... (GunPolicy.org)
Ten Guns a Week Stolen in Western Australia: Handguns Too
26 June 2016
Sunday Times (Western Australia)
Almost 1000 guns have been reported stolen in WA in the past two years, with many feared to be in the hands of criminals.
WA Police figures show 992 firearms were reported stolen between April 2014 and April this year - an average of almost 10 a week.
Most of the stolen guns - 906 - were "long arm" firearms, such as rifles, and two thirds of all the reported thefts (612) happened in regional WA.
WA Police said it only recovered about 90 stolen guns each year, meaning... (GunPolicy.org)
JAMA's Article on Australia's Gun Control Fuels Controversy
24 June 2016
Medpage Today (USA)
Does Australia's gun control policy -- a government buy back of civilian-owned guns and strict laws limiting access to guns -- offer useful insights for the U.S.?
No, according Timothy Wheeler, MD, a retired Los Angeles head and neck surgeon, who played a role in Congress's decision to withhold funding for CDC studies of gun violence, who termed Australia's buyback "a full-fledged mass confiscation."
"The 1996 National Firearms Agreement's so-called 'buyback' of... (GunPolicy.org)
Drastic Drops in Australia Gun Deaths After New Regulations
23 June 2016
RT-TV Novosti (Russia)
Gun control legislation introduced by Australia 20 years ago has not only stopped mass shootings from happening, but also led to a fall in gun-related fatalities, a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association shows.
Rapid fire weapons were banned in Australia in 1996 following a mass shooting, which killed 35 people. A year later, the government introduced a buy-back scheme. Over the next few years, over 700,000 semi-automatic weapons, pump... (GunPolicy.org)
Not So Fast: Why Australia Should Still Worry About Guns
23 June 2016
Daily Life (Australia)
Not for Charlotte Bacon, who would never turn seven. Not for Ana either. Not for Madeleine Hsu. Not for Jack or Gracie. Not Jesse nor James.
God knows, nothing moved politicians to talk hopes and prayers like the 20 murdered children of Sandy Hook Elementary School but nothing moved them to make change. Nearly four years later, another mass shooting and 49 dead in Orlando.
On Monday, US senators still couldn't come together to pass any gun control measures at all.... (GunPolicy.org)
Report Finds Australian Gun Deaths Slashed Since 1996
23 June 2016
9news (Australia), Australian Associated Press
Australian firearm deaths have fallen rapidly in the past two decades, and not a single mass shooting has occurred since the Port Arthur massacre, according to a new study.
There were 104 people killed and at least 52 wounded in 13 Australian mass shootings between 1979 and 1996, the study reports.
Its authors, including University of Sydney Emeritus Professor Simon Chapman, found not a single mass shooting death in the ensuing 20 years (defined as involving five or... (GunPolicy.org)
Homicide, Suicide Fell in Australia After Gun Buyback
23 June 2016
Sydney Morning Herald
The gun law reforms enacted after the Port Arthur massacre 20 years ago did not only bring about an uninterrupted hiatus on mass shootings in Australia, but precipitated a decline in all intentional deaths, including those that did not involve firearms.
Research published in the prestigious American journal JAMA demonstrates fears that gun suicides would merely be replaced by other methods have proved misguided, with an initial spike in suicide deaths immediately... (GunPolicy.org)
Tight Firearm Laws Reduced Gun Deaths in Australia - Study
23 June 2016
Guardian
Since major gun law reforms were introduced in Australia, mass shootings have not only stopped, but there has also been an accelerating reduction in rates of firearm-related homicide and suicides, a landmark study has found.
It has been two decades since rapid-fire long guns were banned in Australia, including those already in private ownership, and 19 years since the mandatory buyback of prohibited firearms by government at market price was introduced. A handgun... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia After Gun Reform: No Mass Shootings in 20 Years
22 June 2016
Science Daily
Since gun law reform and the Firearms Buyback program 20 years ago, Australia has seen an accelerating decline in intentional firearm deaths and an absence of fatal mass shootings, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) reports in a landmark study.
"The absence of mass shootings in Australia in the past two decades compares to 13 fatal mass shootings in the 18 years prior to these sweeping reforms," says the University of Sydney's Emeritus Professor... (GunPolicy.org)
No Mass Shootings in Australia for 20 Years - LA Times
22 June 2016
Los Angeles Times
Gun-control advocates in the U.S. often point to Australia as proof that Americans would be safer with a ban on semiautomatic weapons. In the land down under, there has been a total of zero mass shootings since rapid-fire guns were outlawed in the 1990s.
But a new analysis of crime in Australia stops short of giving gun-control laws the credit for this remarkable run. The reason: Although homicides involving guns have declined over the past 20 years, homicides... (GunPolicy.org)
Mass Shootings in Australia Ceased After Gun Laws Tightened
22 June 2016
Wall Street Journal
The changes were also associated with an accelerated reduction in total firearm-related deaths from homicide and suicide, according to the study, published online Wednesday in JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Mass shootings like the one in Orlando, Fla., have come to a halt in Australia in the two decades since the country adopted sweeping changes to its gun laws, researchers reported in a new study.
The changes were also associated with an... (GunPolicy.org)
Why Banning Assault-Weapons Could Reduce Mass Shootings in the US
22 June 2016
New York Mag
The American conversation about mass shootings is excruciating and circular because there is no possible universe in which our lawmakers will tighten gun control in a meaningful way anytime soon. Among advocates for stronger restrictions on who can buy guns — or at least the most deadly ones — the best hope, for now, is to simply keep building the case and amping up the pressure, in the hopes that some sort of tipping point will eventually be reached.
One way to do... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia's Successful Gun Reforms Could Inform US Policies
22 June 2016
Guardian
A new study from Australia shows how the country's sweeping gun law reform was followed by a decline in mass shootings, homicides and suicides in the last two decades – changes that researchers said could inform US gun policy.
Since 49 people were killed in the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, gun control advocates have again presented Australia as an example of successful gun reform.
After the April 1996 shooting in Australia where one man killed 35 people and... (GunPolicy.org)
Mass Shootings in Australia Down to Zero After Gun Law Reforms
22 June 2016
USA Today
WASHINGTON — Major gun law reforms in Australia enacted 20 years ago have eliminated fatal mass shootings there, according to a study published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Before Australia enacted the reform, it had 13 mass shootings in the span of 17 years.
The study, conducted by three Australian university researchers, was released two days after the Senate rejected four measures that would increased background checks for... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia Took Action to Prevent Gun Deaths. What Happened?
22 June 2016
Washington Post
In the wake of the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history, the Senate failed to pass four bills to shore up background checks, despite public support for the measures hovering around 90 percent. The status quo is deeply unpopular, but it remains the law.
The American mass shooting experience, which tends to follow a predictable cycle of tragedy -> outrage -> finger-pointing -> inaction, stands in sharp contrast to what happened in Australia in 1996. There, a horrified... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Deaths Dropped After Australian Control Laws, Study Says
22 June 2016
Discover Magazine
Gun deaths dropped in Australia following a massive buyback program and tighter gun laws, according to a new study published Wednesday. However, the scientists say they can't decisively prove a connection.
Researchers from the University of Sydney compared firearm deaths both before and after the 1996 Port Arthur Massacre, when a gunman killed 35 people and wounded 23 others. That mass shooting prompted Australian legislators to take action, launching a firearm buyback... (GunPolicy.org)
No Mass Shootings in 20 Years: How Did Australia Do It?
22 June 2016
NBC News (USA)
Strict new gun laws passed after a mass shooting in Australia 20 years ago appear to have prevented any more such attacks there, researchers reported Wednesday.
And overall deaths from firearms have fallen since the 1997 law, which banned certain semi-automatic and pump-action weapons and forced owners to sell them back to the government, the team reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
"Following enactment of gun law reforms in Australia in 1996,... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia is the World's Sixth Largest Importer of Firearms [FR]
18 June 2016
Les Nouvelles Calédonies (Nouméa)
[Translated summary: Australia is the sixth biggest importer of rifles, handguns and ammunition, according to a report by the Small Arms Survey. Australia doesn't manufacture many firearms, so they must be imported. Most are used for hunting, farming and sport.]
D'après le rapport de Small Arms Survey, l'île-continent serait le sixième plus gros importateur de fusils, de revolvers, de pistolets et de munitions.
L'Australie est le sixième pays importateur d'armes... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia,Germany,United Kingdom,United States
How Worldwide Firearm Policies Change After a Mass Shooting
16 June 2016
Washington Post
In the wake of the massacre in Orlando, which killed 49 people, Americans are feeling frustrated about the prevalence of gun violence in the United States and are wondering what must be done to stop it. This has renewed the debate about whether stricter gun control laws could prevent mass shootings.
Perhaps there's something to be learned from countries such as Australia, Britain and Germany. After enacting stricter gun control legislation, those countries have seen a... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Lobby, Gun Safety Group Head to Head in Sydney Debate
16 June 2016
9News (Australia), Australian Associated Press
Emotion must be stripped away from public debate around Australian gun controls, a national policing summit has heard.
Samara McPhedran, a Griffith University senior researcher and chair of Women in Shooting and Hunting (WiSH), says emotions have muddied the crafting of firearm regulations.
"Unfortunately, many decisions in this area seem driven by emotion rather than informed debate," Dr McPhedran told police forces and counter-terror experts in Sydney on... (GunPolicy.org)
Illegal Firearms Remain Australia's Biggest Gun Problem
15 June 2016
4BU (Australia)
Issues surrounding rapid-fire shotguns on the Australian market must be dealt with but illegal firearms remain Australia's biggest gun problem, NSW Deputy Premier Troy Grant says.
Mr Grant, who is also the state's police minister, says the classification and capacity of the controversial Adler shotgun need to be addressed once the federal election is out of the way.
"We have to make sure that if they're allowable that they're classified in the right way so they're... (GunPolicy.org)
More Than 250,000 Illegal Guns Put Australia at Risk of Attack
15 June 2016
Australian (Sydney)
Australia is at risk of an Orlando-style attack despite tougher gun control laws because of the more than 250,000 illegal firearms in the community, according to gun expert Philip Alpers.
The University of Sydney professor noted yesterday that the gun used in Orlando was similar to the weapon Martin Bryant used in the 1996 Port Arthur massacre, an AR-15 assault rifle.
He said many of the illegal weapons in the community were potentially deadly.
The Howard government... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia's Gun, Ammunition Imports Rank Sixth in the World
14 June 2016
Sydney Morning Herald
The United States has once again broken its own record as the top importer of small arms, according to new research that ranks Australia sixth among the world's biggest importers of weapons including rifles, revolvers and pistols.
American purchases alone made up more than 42 per cent of all small arms imports in 2013, according to the 2016 update of the Small Arms Survey, the most comprehensive record of the global trade in small arms and light weapons. The survey was... (GunPolicy.org)
Another Rapid-Fire Shotgun Brings Gun Control Call in Australia
13 June 2016
Guardian, Australian Associated Press
A new rapid-fire shotgun has hit the Australian market, prompting fresh calls from gun control advocates for the nation's firearms laws to be tightened.
As federal and state law enforcement officials prepare to meet in Sydney this week to discuss firearm regulation, the Pardus LAX is being billed as "the new entrant" in the lever action market. More than 7,000 Adler rapid-fire shotguns have been sold in Australia in just six months.
A 12-month ban on a version of the... (GunPolicy.org)
Australian Gun Lobby Launches Firearm Trading Web Site
31 May 2016
Sporting Shooters' Association of Australia, Media release
Licensed firearm owners can legally and safely purchase new and secondhand firearms and firearms accessories from the comfort of their homes or out in the field, thanks to the recent launch of a highly anticipated gun trading website.
Powered by the nation's biggest firearms community, the Sporting Shooters' Association of Australia, SSAA Gun Sales provides an interactive online shopping platform for SSAA members, dealers, firearm owners, collectors and... (GunPolicy.org)
Organised Criminals Target Australian Rural Gun Owners
29 May 2016
Sydney Morning Herald
Organised criminals and bikies are using associates to steal from country gun owners to bolster weapon caches, with more than 90 per cent of all stolen firearms in NSW now coming from rural areas.
In one case in the past 18 months, people infiltrated a gun club in northern NSW to work out who had firearms at their home before stealing them.
More recently, police uncovered 28 guns at a man's house in Sydney's west that had been allegedly stolen from several properties... (GunPolicy.org)
Guns in Homes Make Australian Families Less Safe: Opinion
24 May 2016
Mercury (Australia), Opinion
How many Tasmanians are aware of the increase in the number of shooters who want Adler lever-action guns?
The weapons are not listed in the C Category with semiautomatic weapons, yet they can fire eight rounds before being reloaded and can be modified to take 11 rounds.
If a fanatic or mentally or emotionally unstable person obtains an Adler gun, the result could be catastrophic.
If recent terrorists had used an Adler, more innocents could have died. What is the risk... (GunPolicy.org)
Women Shooters Lead Resurgence of Guns in Australia
14 May 2016
ABC News (Australia)
There has been a resurgence in recreational shooting and hunting in Queensland with the number of gun licence holders growing by more than 20,000 in the past decade.
The increase in gun licences is revealed in figures obtained by the ABC and is in line with similar trends in other states and territories.
Since 2005, the number of licence holders has risen 15 per cent to 179,184 and the number of registered firearms has jumped more than 40 per cent to... (GunPolicy.org)
Convicted Australian Hoarder Ordered to Hand Over Guns
10 May 2016
Canberra Times (Australia)
A Canberra man with a hoarding disorder and a predilection for guns has been forced to relinquish a stash of rifles, a pistol and a shotgun seized from his home after he was convicted of firearms offences.
John Edward Mitchell last year pleaded guilty to numerous crimes after 133 items, including guns, ammunition and gun parts, were seized under a court-issued abatement order designed to manage the unsanitary conditions caused by the items he amassed at his... (GunPolicy.org)
In Two Weeks, 7 US Toddlers Shot Someone with a Gun
7 May 2016
News.com.au
It has been 10 days of "gut wrenching" carnage in the US, with a tragic number of toddlers being fatally shot or inflicting injury on a family member, simply because of an unsecured firearm.
In their own homes, in their cots or in the car — 2016 has seen a concerning spike in toddler related shootings than in the previous year.
As the second biggest killer in the country, 23 incidents of shootings that involve toddlers have already happened this year alone. That's... (GunPolicy.org)
Australian Gun Law Success Could Be Model for USA [FR]
28 April 2016
Euronews, Reuters
[Translated summary: Firearm legislation in Australia has changed dramatically since the Port Arthur massacre. 20 years later, there hasn't been another mass shooting, the number of firearm homicides has dropped and the probability of being killed by a firearm has been reduced by 72%.]
Ce jeudi 28 avril est un triste anniversaire pour l'Australie. Il y a 20 ans a lieu le massacre de Port Arthur en Tasmanie, lors duquel un homme de 28 ans tue 35 personnes et en blesse... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia's National Gun Laws Have Weakened - Opinion
28 April 2016
Sydney Morning Herald, Opinion
Twenty years ago, a lone gun man armed with high-powered gun opened fire at the historic site of Port Arthur in Tasmania, killing 35 people, wounding 18 others and traumatising so many more.
In response to this massacre Australia introduced strong national uniform gun laws. It was an event that not only radically shaped Australia's gun laws, but our cultural landscape. Australia is now known as the country that heroically stood up for public safety by making gun... (GunPolicy.org)
Australian Gun Laws Should Be Strengthened - SMH Editorial
28 April 2016
Sydney Morning Herald, Editorial
Port Arthur. Those two words still haunt the survivors, the families of victims and all who remember the tragic events of April 28, 1996.
Yet 20 years on, a new generation is hearing, perhaps for the first time, the terror of the Port Arthur massacre.
How what psychiatrists called "an intellectually handicapped and personality disordered" man without a driver's licence or gun licence could drive to the Tasmanian site, and use one of the many semi-automatic weapons he... (GunPolicy.org)
Australians Now Own More Guns Than Ever Before
28 April 2016
Sydney Morning Herald
Australians now own more guns than before the 1996 Port Arthur massacre, according to new research that shows firearm imports hit a record high in 2014-15.
[Charts, tables in the original]
The surge in gun-buying over the past 16 years, which has seen 1.02 million guns brought into the country, has been largely a "gun swap", according to Philip Alpers, a University of Sydney public health researcher, gun control expert and founding director of GunPolicy.org.
"The... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia's PM Says Strict Gun Laws Are 'Non-Negotiable'
28 April 2016
Guardian
Malcolm Turnbull has defended the integrity of Australia's gun laws in Hobart ahead of a commemorative service marking the 20th anniversary of the Port Arthur massacre, saying that maintaining a strong stance on firearms was "non-negotiable".
Thirty-five people were killed in the massacre which centred around the Port Arthur former convict site on 28 April, 1996. It is the largest massacre by a lone gunman in Australia and prompted a massive overhaul of the country's... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Control in Australia Has Been a Huge Success - VOA
28 April 2016
Voice of America
SYDNEY— Australia on Thursday marked the 20th anniversary of a mass shooting which led to strict gun controls that have in turn led to a huge decline in gun murders, undermining claims in the United States that such curbs are not the answer.
The chances of being murdered by a gun in Australia plunged to 0.15 per 100,000 people in 2014 from 0.54 per 100,000 people in 1996, a decline of 72 percent, a Reuters analysis of Australian Bureau of Statistics figures... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia's Gun Problem: Laws Weakened since Port Arthur
28 April 2016
Marie Claire
April 28 marks 20 years since the Port Arthur massacre and the implementation of Australia's groundbreaking gun legislation. But with gun ownership back to 1996 levels and firearm restrictions under threat, are our gun laws failing to protect us?
It was just after 5pm on a brisk winter Sunday in Sydney, and the sickening sense of worry was building in Michelle Fernando's stomach. She was due to meet her father, Vincent, that evening to attend a talk by a lawyer they... (GunPolicy.org)
Australian Gun Dealer Subverts Ban on Rapid-fire Shotgun
28 April 2016
ABC News (Australia)
An Adelaide gunsmith has attracted controversy after his decision to legally modify a shotgun to match the ammunition load of a higher capacity version which was banned from importation last year.
Importation of the eight-shot Adler lever action shotgun was suspended for 12 months in July because it could fire up to eight shells before needing to be reloaded.
Nik Halliwell runs a gun modification workshop in the Adelaide suburbs and is one of the few people in... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia's Gun Numbers Climb as Imports Hit Historic High
28 April 2016
The Conversation
The proud claim of some Australians that their country has "solved the gun problem" might only be a temporary illusion. In recent years, arms dealers have imported more guns than ever before. And last year we crossed a symbolic threshold: for the first time in 20 years, Australia's national arsenal of private guns is larger than it was before the Port Arthur massacre.
This increase must be seen in context. Australia's population grew by 5 million in the same period, so... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia Data Shows Gun Controls a Huge Success
28 April 2016
Euronews, Reuters
SYDNEY – Australia on Thursday marked the 20th anniversary of a mass shooting which led to strict gun controls that have in turn led to a huge decline in gun murders, undermining claims in the United States that such curbs are not the answer.
The chances of being murdered by a gun in Australia plunged to 0.15 per 100,000 people in 2014 from 0.54 per 100,000 people in 1996, a decline of 72 percent, a Reuters analysis of Australian Bureau of Statistics figures... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia Vulnerable as States Flout 1996 Gun Control Accord
28 April 2016
Australian (Sydney)
Australia is again vulnerable to mass shootings because of a failure to fully enforce the 1996 national firearms agreement, say gun control advocates.
As the nation prepares today to commemorate 20 years since its worst modern mass shooting, Gun Control Australia and those who lost loved ones in the attack, are gearing up for a renewed fight to restore the spirit and intent of the 1996 National Firearms Agreement.
Gun Control Australia vice-president Roland Browne... (GunPolicy.org)
Could Australia's Gun Control Laws Be Weakening?
28 April 2016
The Conversation
Gun violence has halved in Australia since laws were changed under the National Firearms Agreement adopted in the wake of the 1996 Port Arthur massacre.
Before the killing of 35 people by 28-year-old Martin Bryant at Port Arthur in Tasmania, each state and territory had different gun laws. Western Australia had the strongest laws and lowest rates of gun violence; Queensland had the weakest laws and gun violence was high.
In 1987, five people in the Northern Territory... (GunPolicy.org)
Australian Advocates Ask for Tighter Regulation of Firearms
27 April 2016
Sydney Morning Herald
Gun control advocates have called for tighter regulation of firearms on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the Port Arthur massacre, saying that landmark gun control measures passed in its wake have since been eroded.
"We don't want laws regressing but that is what I see in NSW and that is why my sister was able to access a firearm," said Michelle Fernando at NSW Parliament on Wednesday.
Ms Fernando's father, Vincent, was shot dead six years ago after his daughter -... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia Destroyed, then Re-imported a Million Guns [ES]
27 April 2016
Globovision, EFE News Agency
[Translated summary: Australia commemorates the 20th anniversary of the Port Arthur gun massacre in which 35 were shot dead. Although in 1996 the country destroyed a million guns and enacted much tougher gun control laws, Australia has since re-imported more than a million firearms.]
Australia conmemora este jueves el vigésimo aniversario de la masacre de Port Arthur, que se saldó con 35 muertos y 23 heridos, con la determinación de mantener su "fuerte y... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia Gun Owners Buy More Than Before
27 April 2016
The Conversation
The proud claim that Australia may have "solved the gun problem" might only be a temporary illusion. In recent years, arms dealers have imported more guns than ever before. And last year we crossed a symbolic threshold: for the first time in 20 years, Australia's national arsenal of private guns is larger than it was before the Port Arthur massacre.
This increase must be seen in context. Australia's population grew by five million in the same period, so per-capita... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Sweden,United Kingdom,Australia,Japan,Switzerland,Israel,South Africa
Americans Face Extreme Difficulty Exporting Their Guns
27 April 2016
Wall Street Journal, Blog
When American Tom Heberlein tried to import his firearms to Sweden, he got as far as his transfer in the U.K. before it started to become complicated. There, despite having the correct paperwork, a U.K. customs official said: "You can't have these guns."
And thus began Mr. Heberlein's global gun education.
Although Mr. Heberlein did, after a lot of negotiation, finally get his guns through U.K. customs and in to Sweden, the entire experience created a hassle he hadn't... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia Gun Numbers Climb, Imports at Historic High [ES]
27 April 2016
Terra (Argentina), EFE News Agency
[Translated summary: Twenty years after the massacre of Port Arthur, Australia is determined to maintain "strong and responsible" gun control policy. The government is allowed to regulate private possession, decide who can and cannot have firearm licences and keep a record of each firearm. Nevertheless, Australia has imported more than a million firearms in the last 16 years.]
Australia conmemora hoy el vigésimo aniversario de la masacre de Port Arthur, que se saldó... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Control Laws Changed Australia, says PM John Howard
26 April 2016
Sydney Morning Herald
Just six weeks into the job, Prime Minister John Howard was pottering at Kirribilli House when he received a call from his press secretary, Tony O'Leary, alerting him to the tragedy unfolding at Port Arthur.
"I turned on the television and within minutes others from my office and the Federal police Commissioner rang me to explain what was happening," Mr Howard recalled this week, on the eve of that fateful day on April 28,1996.
Thirty-five people, mostly tourists... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia: Gun Debate Flares 20 Years After Mass Shooting
24 April 2016
Washington Post, Associated Press
PORT ARTHUR -- Carolyn Loughton still carries a bullet in her shoulder from one of the world's worst mass shootings that killed her daughter 20 years ago and galvanized Australia to drastically clamp down on guns.
Loughton threw her body over her 15-year-old daughter Sarah, but could not save her from a gunman with two semi-automatic assault rifles who methodically took headshots in a Port Arthur, Tasmania, cafe on April 28, 1996, killing 35 people.
In response, the... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia Debates Gun Law Merits 20 Years After Port Arthur
18 April 2016
Financial Times (UK)
PORT ARTHUR -- The shell of the Broad Arrow Cafe is seen behind the cross bearing the names of those who lost their lives in the Memorial Garden in the Port Arthur Historical Site on April 18, 2016 in Port Arthur, Australia. The historic town became infamous on April 28, 1996 when Martin Bryant began shooting indiscriminately with a high-powered rifle on people visiting the site. 35 people were killed and a further 23 were injured in what remains the world's worst... (GunPolicy.org)
Australian Gun Dealers Modify Shotgun to Get Around Ban
15 April 2016
SBS (Australia), Australian Associated Press
Gun dealers are converting the controversial Adler rapid-fire shotgun so it can shoot twice as many rounds, sidestepping an import ban on a previous version of the weapon.
Plans to import the seven-shot lever-action shotgun were halted last July when it was banned by former prime minister Tony Abbott for six months, later extended to 12 months, only for a modified version that instead fires five shots in rapid succession to be introduced.
It has now emerged gun... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia Considers Tightening National Firearms Agreement
14 April 2016
Herald Sun (Melbourne)
Right now, the government is considering what changes, if any, it should make to the National Firearms Agreement 1996, the landmark legislation enacted 20 years ago in the wake of the Port Arthur massacre.
Days after gunman Martin Bryant used two high-powered semi-automatic weapons to slaughter 35 people and injure 23 more at the Port Arthur historic site in Tasmania, then prime minister John Howard moved to strip the most dangerous weapons out of Australian... (GunPolicy.org)
Australians Use Same 'Good Reason' to Buy 100s of Guns
13 April 2016
SBS (Australia)
How many guns is too many guns?
It's not just an academic question. In NSW, the extent of gun ownership tells us something about how the gun laws are working – and where they are failing us.
Let's get this straight. Australia has for the most part the kind of gun laws that are the envy of the rest of the world. The law classifies weapons into categories so that more dangerous weapons are prohibited from use or restricted to certain kinds of license, for the most... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Dealers Work Around Rapid-fire Shotgun Ban in Australia
13 April 2016
Sky News (Australia), Australian Associated Press
The Australian Greens have called on the Turnbull government to do more to uphold the spirit of post-Port Arthur gun laws after it emerged firearms dealers are using a loophole to modify a controversial rapid-fire shotgun so it can shoot more rounds.
Plans to import the Adler A110 lever-action shotgun, which has a magazine capacity of seven rounds, were halted last July when it was banned by former prime minister Tony Abbott for six months, later extended until August... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Sky News (Australia), Australian Associated Press
One Gun a Day Stolen in South Australia, Going to Crims
11 April 2016
Advertiser (Adelaide)
More than one gun a day is lost or stolen in SA, prompting calls for a crackdown on "irresponsible" owners amid fears the weapons are falling into criminal hands.
As the nation prepares to mark the 20th anniversary of the Port Arthur massacre later this month, The Advertiser can reveal that 2294 guns have been reported as missing in the past four years
They include pump-action shotguns, semiautomatic pistols and assault rifles.
Police said "criminals value firearms... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia: Gun Laws May Weaken on Massacre Anniversary
11 April 2016
9 News (Australia)
A Port Arthur massacre survivor is urging the federal government to maintain restrictions on the controversial Adler A110 shotgun as the expiry date for a temporary ban on the weapon's sale looms.
Twenty years since the 1996 massacre, which saw gunman Martin Bryant kill 35 people and injure 23, Australia's strict gun control laws could soon be weakened if a review of a fast action-lever shotgun is not finalised.
Carolyn Loughton, who lost her 15-year-old daughter... (GunPolicy.org)
Some Australian Gun Owners Possess Close to 300 Guns
10 April 2016
Australian (Sydney), Australian Associated Press
NSW police statistics obtained under freedom of information by the Greens show some Sydneysiders possess close to 300 guns, while around 50 people in the state have a hundred guns or more. "Something is broken in our firearm laws when people are allowed to build up their own large private arsenals," the NSW Greens justice spokesperson David Shoebridge said.
The Greens have set up a website listing unnamed firearm license holders' gun hauls and their postcode.
A person... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Massacre Dad Warns Australia Not to Relax Gun Laws
10 April 2016
Sydney Morning Herald
Following the Port Arthur massacre, Walter Mikac wanted to be left alone.
Instead he found himself inadvertently drawn into Australia's gun control debate.
The massacre, which happened 20 years ago on April 28 and 29, began an unstoppable movement for gun law reform.
Since losing his wife and two daughters in the mass shooting, Mikac has become one of the debate's most potent voices.
After the killings Mikac wrote to Prime Minister John Howard, who phoned in... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Clubs Growing by 10% Each Year in Australia's Capital
9 April 2016
ABC News (Australia)
A sharp rise in the number of registered guns in Canberra reflects a boom in recreational shooting and should not be seen as a concern, shooting clubs say.
There are currently 19,200 registered firearms in the ACT, up from 17,000 in 2013.
While gun control advocates have condemned that number as extraordinarily high for a primarily urban area, sporting shooters said they were surprised the figure was so low given a boom in the sport.
Sporting Shooters Association of... (GunPolicy.org)
Ex-PM Launches Campaign to Protect Australia's Gun Laws
8 April 2016
News.com.au
Former prime minister John Howard and anti-gun campaigner Walter Mikac will today launch a national petition against relaxing Australia's tough gun laws.
The move follows concerns states have begun watering down tough gun control laws introduced by Mr Howard following the Port Arthur massacre.
Mr Mikac, whose wife, Nanette, and daughters Alannah, 6, and Madeline, 3, were among 35 killed by Martin Bryant in the 1996 mass shooting, has campaigned tirelessly against guns... (GunPolicy.org)
Australian Campaign Aims to Curb Flood of Rapid-fire Shotguns
7 April 2016
Herald Sun (Melbourne)
A flood of new rapid-fire shotguns into Australia has prompted a landmark petition to ban the semi-automatic-style weapons.
Gun control experts fear the proliferation of the Adler A110 model due to loopholes will have deadly consequences, with more than 600 registered in Victoria since September.
The Alannah and Madeline Foundation is launching the petition, almost 20 years on from the Port Arthur massacre, which saw 35 people shot dead.
Its "Keep Australia safe from... (GunPolicy.org)
Existing Gun Control Laws in Australia are Inadequate
5 April 2016
Guardian, Australian Associated Press
John Howard, who introduced national gun control laws 20 years ago after the Port Arthur massacre, says the existing laws are inadequate and should be tightened.
Speaking on SBS's Insight program to Alpha Cheng, the son of NSW police employee Curtis Cheng who was fatally shot in Parramatta last year, the former prime minister said "almost certainly … the laws are not adequate" and he would "encourage sensible strengthening of the existing laws".
"I would have... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Ban Upped Australia Gun Crime 'Red Herring Argument'
17 March 2016
International Business Times (USA)
It's been almost 20 years to the day since the Port Arthur massacre, which changed Australian gun laws completely. But two decades on and former Prime Minister John Howard, who helped put the National Firearms Agreement into place, continues to be questioned about whether Australia's ban on guns has benefited the country.
In an interview with US broadcaster CBS' Sunday Morning TV program, Howard was asked to comment on the current state of firearm laws in the US and... (GunPolicy.org)