Injury Prevention 1996; 2: 253-254 253

SPECIAL FEATURE Inj Prev: first published as 10.1136/ip.2.4.253 on 1 December 1996. Downloaded from

A breakthrough in control in after the Port Arthur massacre

Rebecca Peters, Charles Watson

The Port Arthur massacre in Tasmania on would do all in his power to tighten the gun 28-29 April 1996 killed 35 people and laws. Even more surprisingly, he put seriously injured 18 others. The death toll of35 immediate and unrelenting pressure on his represents almost 50%/ of total conservative party colleagues around the homicides for the entire country in an average nation to back him. year. Apart from the victims, their friends and The problem for Howard was that under families, the massacre has affected many others Australia's Constitution, the Federal Govern- less directly. According to press reports, more ment has only limited power to control than 2000 people, including 700 emergency . Almost all the significant powers to workers, have required counselling and some regulate the sale and possession ofguns lie with were still too trau.matised to return to work the eight states and territories, so that any one three months later. Several suicides have been state could torpedo the proposal by refusing to allegedly linked to the tragedy. The financial cooperate. It was only an extraordinary display cost, including losses to tourism, is estimated at of political determination and vision that $A30 million over the next three years; a enabled Howard to exert his will on all jurisdic- significant burden on a state with fewer than tions. On May 10, two weeks after Port Arthur, half a million people. he convened a meeting of the Australian Police Australia has a mediocre record in gun Ministers Council, where all states and ter- control. Our firearm death rate of30 per million ritories signed an historic agreement to intro- population lies between the exemplary low rate duce strong uniform gun laws.

in England and Wales (four per million) and the http://injuryprevention.bmj.com/ appallingly high rate in the USA (154 per million). Australia has about 600 firearm deaths (2) THE RESPONSE OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC per year, accounting for one in 13 of all injury The initial horror and revulsion quickly turned deaths. Eighty per cent of gun deaths are to anger and a determination to tighten the gun suicides. Handguns are strictly controlled and laws. Opinion polls indicated that about 90QO cause fewer than 40 deaths each year. However, of Australians wanted tough gun laws, includ- ownership of and is fairly high, ing registration of all and a total ban on around four million guns in a population of 18 semiautomatics. In the wake of the public million. surveys virtually every radio, television, and Previous attempts to introduce significantly print media commentator began to give strong tighter gun laws have always been thwarted by support for the Prime Minister's position.

the small but vocal gun lobby. In response to on September 24, 2021 by guest. Protected copyright. several mass shootings in the late 1980s, the National Committee on Violence (NCV) made (3) THE RESPONSE OF THE GUN LOBBY 25 recommendations for gun law reform, the Although 90%/ of Australians favoured tough primary one being for a national gun control new gun laws, the minority opposing this strategy based on uniform laws across the position was well funded and vocal. The gun states. That suggestion, like most ofthe NCV's lobby staged several large street demonstra- recommendations, was never acted on. tions but media reports of immoderate and even reckless speeches actually assisted the case for gun control. The most notorious example Responses to the Port Arthur massacre was a speech by Ian McNiven, Vice President (1) POLITICAL RESPONSES of the Firearm Owners' Association, in which The initial political responses to the Port he proclaimed that blood would have to be shed National Coalition for were introduced. Such Gun Control, PO Box Arthur massacre were predictable condem- if the new gun laws 167, Camperdown, nation of the act, sympathy for the bereaved, outbursts by extremists have made it difficult NSW 2050, Australia hopes that the tragedy would never be for the gun lobby to convince the public it is R Peters repeated, etc. However, these ritual lamenta- simply a group ofrational, law abiding freedom Faculty of Health and tions fell short of specific commitments to gun lovers. Behavioural Sciences, law reform that might upset the shooting University of Wollongong, NSW constituency. 2522, Australia It was at this point that a most unexpected (4) THE RESPONSE OF PUBLIC HEALTH C Watson thing happened. The newly elected conser- ORGANISATIONS vative Prime Minister, John Howard, deeply Only two health related organisations around Correspondence to: Rebecca Peters. moved by the tragedy, announced that he Australia have made a significant contribution 254 Peters, Watson

to the public debate in the four months after ent. The new laws will be tighter than the

Port Arthur. They are the Coalition for Gun existing law in any state or territory. Inj Prev: first published as 10.1136/ip.2.4.253 on 1 December 1996. Downloaded from Control (a small voluntary organisation) and the Australian Medical Association. Not a Clamping down on crimping single health department around Australia has Under pressure from the gun lobby, some made a significant contribution - due to a members of John Howard's own government combination of lack of expertise and political sought concessions. Weeks of public debate compromise. revolved around 'crimping', a proposal to modify semiautomatic shotguns by reducing the magazine capacity from five or 10 cartridges The May 10 Agreement to two. Crimping advocates said the technique Prime Minister Howard put to the police would allow these weapons no longer to be ministers a 10 point plan for strict and uniform considered semiautomatics. However, the gun laws, based on the NCV recommendations. Prime Minister was not convinced that crimp- It requires every jurisdiction to pass laws that ing was irreversible, so he refused to accept it. ensure: He correctly remarked that there was no doubt a list of such * The sale and ownership ofevery gun must long hypothetical technical be loopholes, but to accept them would be to let registered in a national database. down the Australian * Anyone who wants to own a gun must people, who were united prove they have a genuine reason; 'self on the need to ban semiautomatics. defence' is By mid-July three jurisdictions - Queens- not a genuine reason. Western * The minimum age for a licence to own or land, Australia, and the Northern buy guns will be 18. Territory - still wanted to allow crimping. * New licence applicants will have to under- John Howard threatened that if all states did take a training course in . not fall into line, he would hold a national * offenders will be ban- referendum to give the federal government ned from holding a gun licence for at least power to pass one national gun law. Faced with five years. this threat the recalcitrant states gave in. * Uniform and strict gun storage requirements will be instituted. The future * Guns can only be bought and sold The Prime Minister has shown leadership and through the ministers in licensed dealers - that is, no more mail police courage making the order or national agreement; and most Australians backyard sales. believe * As well as a licence, every purchase of a the battle for gun control has been won. gun will require a permit with a 28 day Unfortunately, this is not true, as the new laws http://injuryprevention.bmj.com/ waiting period. must now be passed by each state and territory * Semiautomatic weapons and pump-action parliament. The gun lobby will use all means shotguns will be banned, except for those available, including a great deal of money, to farmers and professional shooters who can intimidate politicians at this level into weaken- prove they have a genuine need for these ing the laws with loopholes. As of mid-August weapons. 1996 three states - New South Wales, South * Owners of prohibited weapons will have Australia, and Tasmania - have passed satis- 12 months to surrender them for fair factory laws, though they have not set com- compensation, funded out of an increase mencement dates. in the Medicare levy (the universal tax The national response is a cultural turning surcharge that funds Australia's health point for Australia, an opportunity to become a care system). society that does something about violence. It on September 24, 2021 by guest. Protected copyright. has provided an opportunity for our politicians After the amnesty, penalties for illegal owner- to demonstrate maturity in finally putting party ship will be severe. politics aside in the interest of public health. As well as creating a uniform scheme, these This is a landmark step for our democracy, measures will raise the minimum standard of putting an end to the power ofthe gun lobby to safety applying anywhere in Australia at pres- influence public policy through intimidation.