The peak body for public health supports the NSW Government’s announcement today of a gun buyback, which joins efforts by the federal, WA, and ACT Governments to ensure there are fewer guns in the community.
“The NSW buyback is one of the biggest firearm reforms by a state/territory government in the past 30 years, and joins other historic efforts by the WA Government to make guns harder to access,” Public Health Association of Australia CEO, Adjunct Professor Terry Slevin said.
“As we saw following the tragedies at Port Arthur in 1996 and in Bondi last December, people support efforts by their governments to keep them safe from preventable gun violence.
“We appreciate the efforts of the federal, WA, NSW, and ACT governments, and are disappointed the governments of the other jurisdictions are refusing to keep their communities safe.
“Australians don’t want to replicate the United States with its misery and violence so many families experience because it refuses to address its guns problem.
“There are more guns in Australia now than in 1996, and the firearms industry keeps trying to dilute the effectiveness of gun control protections at the state/territory and federal levels of government.
“To pretend that illegal guns are the problem ignores the reality that most guns start as legal, and through theft and other pathways become illegal, or are used to cause harm, regardless of legal status.
“The fewer guns in circulation means a lower chance people will get shot, and that’s particularly pronounced for people living in the bush.
“We urge all political leaders to support the buy back, and certainly not undermine it.
“The buy back, along with the developments that are in train to establish an effective National Firearms Register, are important pieces of the puzzle to reduce risk of gun related injuries and deaths in Australia.
“We join our partners in the Australian Gun Safety Alliance and beyond by urging the laggard states and territories to work with the federal government to create uniform and consistent gun laws across the continent.”
