How Gun Control Laws Worked In Australia And Britain
After mass shootings in 1996, both Australia and Great Britain responded with a series of measures that greatly reduced gun violence.
In March that year, an embittered lone gun man entered a school in Dunblane, Scotland, armed with four handguns and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. He killed 16 five and six-year-old children, a teacher and then himself. In Port Arthur, Tasmania, some six weeks later, a young man with learning difficulties and two semi-automatic rifles killed 35 people.
John Howard, then Australia’s newly elected prime minister, moved rapidly in the wake of the Port Arthur shooting, agreeing a new set of gun control policies for adoption by the federal government and the eight states and territories of Australia.
- A ban on semi-automatic rifles and pump-action shotguns (importation, ownership, sale, possession, manufacture or use).
- A firearm “buyback” scheme compensating gun owners for any prohibited firearms surrendered.
- Comprehensive firearm registration and gun owner licensing.
- A requirement that all gun licence applicants prove a “genuine reason” for owning a firearm.
- Secure firearm storage.
- Uniform national gun laws.
Over one million firearms, almost a third of the civilian gun stock, were surrendered over the following decade.
In Great Britain, although a judicial inquiry, The Cullen Report came to a cautious and measured compromise proposal, this was swept away by a strong tide of national opinion favouring a handgun ban. This led the outgoing Conservative government of John Major to prohibit all handguns down to .22 calibre and the incoming New Labour government under Tony Blair to prohibit even these smaller calibre weapons, via amendments to the 1968 Firearms Act.
Copyright 2015 Liberaland
47 responses to How Gun Control Laws Worked In Australia And Britain
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Obewon October 5th, 2015 at 20:07
Preemptively: Australian crime after the Australian ban on some guns, has dropped dramatically. http://www.snopes.com/crime/statistics/ausguns.asp
2) Have murders increased since the gun law change, as (dissemblers) claimed? Actually, Australian crime statistics show a marked decrease in homicides since the gun law change. According to the Australian Institute of Criminology, a government agency, the number of homicides in Australia did increase slightly in 1997 and peaked in 1999, but has since declined to the lowest number on record in 2007, the most recent year for which official figures are available. http://www.factcheck.org/2009/05/gun-control-in-australia/
KABoink_after_wingnut_hacker October 5th, 2015 at 20:59
We don’t need no stinkin’ facts to mess up our delusions!
Obewon October 5th, 2015 at 21:07
..If I had a dollar for every delusion I’ve debunked I’d buy my own Fijian island!
bpollen October 6th, 2015 at 06:22
Alex Jones must be a goldmine for you!
amersham46 October 5th, 2015 at 20:22
A lack of political will , Congress rather do what the minority (and the gun lobby ) want , rather than what is right and what a majority want
The Original Just Me October 5th, 2015 at 20:58
The Right Winger’s Nut Cases want wide open gun ownership in order to fully arm THEIR Militias. if Open gun ownership is the law of the land. The Republicans won’t have to buy THEIR Militias weapons because the Gun Nuts will already own their own. It will be just a call to arms when they try to take over with their military Coup.
Obewon October 5th, 2015 at 21:17
CHAMP: lights out for teabaggs! http://phys.org/news/2012-10-boeing-champ-weapon-sci-fi-style.html https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lh1rgy25XhU Operational and fully deployed in 2017.
The Original Just Me October 6th, 2015 at 23:22
Thanks. That was interesting. They must have done their testing in Skull Valley Utah. I am familiar with that area. The idea of the tech they are using is old but practical application has been hard. They must have it down now days. Okay; Drone coming I——-
Suzanne McFly October 5th, 2015 at 20:28
We’re Americans, we don’t need no damn common sense!!!!!!!!
The Original Just Me October 5th, 2015 at 20:51
You’re right, we have plenty of Horse Sense.
Robert Smithson October 5th, 2015 at 21:16
Those two nations have no constitutional protections, so it was easy for their lawmakers to pass draconian gun laws. Look, why don’t you liberals just stop beating around the bush and make the repeal of the 2nd Amendment one of your priorities? Just add it to your political platform and run on it.
Obewon October 5th, 2015 at 21:26
How old are you, where do you live and does mommy know you’re on her computer?
whatthe46 October 5th, 2015 at 21:37
ain’t the the truth.
The Original Just Me October 6th, 2015 at 23:16
What a nasty and truthful thing to say about Carly.
Robert Kennedy October 5th, 2015 at 22:10
Nothing draconian about them. The second amendment doesn’t need repealing, just enforcement. It doesn’t give anyone not in the National Guard (on active duty) the right to have a gun.
bpollen October 6th, 2015 at 06:21
Actually, they have a Constitution and thusly have constitutional protections. They don’t have a Constitutional right to firearms. Pay some attention to what you are saying and you will look considerably less foolish.
And I know a lot of liberal gun owners and hunters and competitive marksmen who are in favor of sensible gun laws. Makes your 2nd sentence nonsense also.
“Just add it to your political platform and run on it?”
Not because that is the position they hold, but because that is what you imagine they think. Wow, that makes sense. And who is this Liberal Party of which you speak? Liberal Party of Utah? (1870-1893) The Liberal Republican Party? (1872) There currently aren’t any national Liberal Party candidates that I can find.
Dwendt44 October 6th, 2015 at 12:24
Back in the 70’s and 80’s there was a small number of emigrants TO Australia from the US, they were extremely upset that they couldn’t take their hoard of guns with them. Australia immigrants weren’t allowed to own guns. Only citizens at the time.
Chip Casey October 6th, 2015 at 13:16
The second amendment wasn’t about hunting, it was about the ability to defend yourself even against our own government, it was why the right was “not to be infringed” . That means regulated etc, which you seam to think hunters want to do… None that I know personally thankfully. When or country has to deal with our women getting raped our sharia law being pushed out, we thankfully, won’t lie down for it like Britain, France, Germany, etc has..
bpollen October 6th, 2015 at 14:54
Really? What IS the 2nd amendment of the Australian Constitution?
As soon as you hyperventilated about sharia, you put yourself way past simply wrong and all the way into loon territory. Now I know I can discount every thing you say.
The Original Just Me October 6th, 2015 at 23:15
I have your back on this idiot.
bpollen October 7th, 2015 at 04:43
Even if we go with the US Constitution, nowhere in the entire amendment does it say anything about existing for the purposes of overthrowing your government. It’s only one sentence long, so it would be kinda hard to hide any secret clauses… but we all know facts don’t really matter with some people.
The Original Just Me October 7th, 2015 at 10:02
Who ever said these Right Winger’s Nut cases ever read or followed the Constitution. They just try to use it and try to twist it to their own purpose and meaning, just like they do the Bible.
The Original Just Me October 6th, 2015 at 23:13
Did you do ANY research before you posted ? Or, did you just grab the latest letter from your Block Party Propaganda Minister ?
GiveP*****achance! October 5th, 2015 at 21:35
It is tragic and sad when people die from violence or other means but not real interested in giving up my guns …does not mean that much to me.
Obewon October 5th, 2015 at 21:50
Australia’s gun buyback & mandatory gun registration eliminated 59% of all gun homicides and 65% of all firearm suicides! Oz weeded out and disarmed the paranoid gun nuts!
So what have the Australian laws actually done for homicide and suicide rates? Conservative PM Howard cites a study (pdf) by Andrew Leigh of Australian National University and Christine Neill of Wilfrid Laurier University finding that the firearm homicide rate fell by 59%, and the firearm suicide rate fell by 65%, in the decade after the law was introduced, without a parallel increase in non-firearm homicides and suicides. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonkblog/wp/2012/08/02/did-gun-control-work-in-australia/
GiveP*****achance! October 5th, 2015 at 22:01
i like pump shotguns and semiauto pistols and rifles…but hate violence…but still would rather keep my firearms
Obewon October 5th, 2015 at 22:30
I like laser weapons but I am not greedy enough to fire, blowing people away.
GiveP*****achance! October 5th, 2015 at 22:32
that is a good thing.. violence is horrible
Chip Casey October 6th, 2015 at 13:05
And yet necessary in the right conditions. How do you expect European women to protect themselves against the ever increasing rape rate by Muslim men in those countries??
Obewon October 7th, 2015 at 09:16
Martial arts self defense and a call to the police are a twofer ending violence against women.
Chip Casey October 9th, 2015 at 12:46
That is a retarded statement. Bet your life in a hand to hand fight against a man with a likely weapon. This is liberal retardation. Only a gun can equalize a 90 pound woman with a 220 pound man. Your fear of firearms tell me you are nothing but sheep who are useless defending your family or friends.
whatthe46 October 9th, 2015 at 13:01
your paranoia shines through.
Obewon October 9th, 2015 at 20:05
Buh-bye!
Ian October 5th, 2015 at 21:48
How do you Moderators deal with the uninformed rubbish posing as opinions & keep your sanity??
Dear Mr Smithson, what constitutional protections are Australians missing out on & how did that lead to “draconian gun laws”?
From the friend of the intelligent & rational internet searcher – snopes;
“Australian citizens do not (and never did) have a constitutional right to own firearms —
even before the 1997 buyback program, handgun ownership in Australia was restricted to certain groups, such as those needing weapons for occupational reasons, members of approved sporting clubs, hunters, and collectors. Moreover, the 1997 buyback program did not take away all the guns owned by these groups; only some types of firearms (primarily semi-automatic and pump-action weapons) were banned. And even with the ban in effect, those who can demonstrate a legitimate need to possess prohibited categories of firearms can petition for exemptions from the law.”
There is simply no culture of fear in Australia that requires everyone to be armed to the teeth with violence as the first response to any perceived threat.
I realise that American exceptionalism means you don’t care about the opinions of furriners but really, by engaging you in conversation, our only hope is that you survive as a people & don’t take out the rest of the World as collateral damage.
Obewon October 5th, 2015 at 21:52
Well said Ian! Patience strategically debunks delusions every time!
Dwendt44 October 6th, 2015 at 12:16
The propaganda machine of the NRA would make Goebbels proud.
The ‘if the take one they will take them all tomorrow’ nonsense seems to work on low effort thinkers in the Republican Party if not the citizenry in general.
Robert Kennedy October 5th, 2015 at 22:08
Well, obviously the fear has been caused by the practically unlimited number of firearms out there. And they are out there because of ignorant people fighting any form of control. It’s a self propagating problem.
Chip Casey October 6th, 2015 at 13:02
You thing we own firearms out of fear? We own firearms because we can…. And that in a violent situation, without one you are at a serious disadvantage. You also know that or country was founded on personal firearms because without them we would have been just another colony of England like Ireland or Scotland. Thanks but no thanks… I trust neither my government or another government to do what is right or to protect me. I will do that job myself.
Ian October 6th, 2015 at 18:21
Fair enough. Exercise your freedoms to protect yourself & your family but the statistics of in home / inter family gun violence need to be heeded. Hopefully you have never faced a violent situation where you needed to use your guns & never will.
As a thriving “colony” of England, Australia is going along just fine as a free society (hear that Tucker??). Yes, your well armed & regulated militia did result in your ditching England after which they all went home & hung their muskets on the wall until the next hunting trip.
I can go to a shopping centre / mall today with thousands of others and know that it is “gun free” by choice. You don’t trust any Government to protect you – how is that not fear??
BTW, saying that you do something “because we can” would normally elicit a joke response but this topic is too serious for that. Lastly, most of Ireland is not part of the UK & Scotland is moving towards independence (by vote , not guns).
Chip Casey October 8th, 2015 at 11:18
You are not immune in your gun free zone from violence regardless if you feel like you are or not. Reminds me of that reporter in Egypt when Mubarak was run out of office and she was filming it all right up to the point she was raped right in the open by multiple men. You feel safe up until the time you are confronted by someone with a gun and you have none. You are them but a sheep to be shown by the wolf.
Let me see why I wouldn’t trust my own government, maybe because I know they spy on everyone now – even you. They have a server farm running multiple copies of narus insight to decode and decipher everyone’s emails, phone calls, etc. And whose head has publicly stated that the end justifies the means. A government that actively participated in the Tuskegee experiments.. No I don’t trust them one bit. I trust myself and I will defend my family and myself. I don’t need anyone else to defend me. How about you?
Ian October 8th, 2015 at 17:50
“How about you” you ask. No, I’m not immune but my family & I are statistically safer in our (almost) gun free zone. I don’t really think that a comparison with Egypt is fair as again, (statistically) the chances of me ever seeing anyone here on the street carrying a gun (other than a policeman) are very, very low.
I defend myself and my family by living in a culture that doesn’t require me to be constantly armed but I do take responsibility for our safety. Our house is locked and alarmed & we avoid downtown areas where drug related crime is known to occur.
Yes, your Government is most likely monitoring my internet use as well as yours. Quite illegal of course but whilst out of my control, you can stop it. You vote them in & out. If you can get >30% turnout, maybe you can change things. That’s a way to protect your freedoms & safety that doesn’t require a gun.
Lastly, “Chip” is such a quintessentially American name, conjuring up images of the good life back in the 1950’s and 60’s. From our friend Google, “Chip as a boys’ name is of Old German origin, and the meaning of Chip is “free man””.
Chip Casey October 8th, 2015 at 18:21
You arent statistically safer. You just think you are. In 54 years I don’t know one guy I went to school with that had been shot. If you aren’t a crook or in the wrong place it rarely happens despite what the media portrays.
800 Toyota trucks go missing on the other hand from Australia and the next thing that shows up in Syria with Isis are those trucks. They are on your soil. Even though you’re govt is stopping the ship’s with refugees offshore, they are on your soil already. The difference between you and me is that when the shooting starts I am going to be able to fight back. You guys are just going to have to go duck and hide.
Ian October 8th, 2015 at 19:53
Ok, my facts don’t match your facts, a not uncommon problem.
President Obama asked for the media to publish numbers killed by gun violence vs terrorist attacks in the USA since Sept 11. I think I saw a NYT table showing hundreds of thousands vs maybe 50?
Duck & hide works just fine for me (especially in a Home Depot parking lot). Yes, the evil is everywhere, the reds are under the beds, the invading hordes from SE Asia have yet to arrive etc etc. I’ll leave the fighting to those that are trained for it.
Chip Casey October 9th, 2015 at 12:10
Recently, Australian policed uncovered a jihadist plot to kidnap regular citizens on the streets of Sydney, behead them, and send the gruesome and terrifying videos over the internet. The aim of the terrorists was to bring Australia to its knees and bend it to Islamic demands.
Read more: http://www.americanthinker.com/2014/10/silence_in_the_face_of_jihad_in_new_jersey.html#ixzz3o5R7w7y3
This is your reality. Go gunless into the night if you want. As for me and my house I prefer to be able to fight back. I never thought I would call an Aussie a pussy but it seems you guys have been emasculated like your British cousins. Good luck defending your homeland.
Ian October 9th, 2015 at 17:53
I read your “recent” one year old linked article by Rabbi Spero which correctly records how our Australian Government LEO’s uncovered a group of extremists & their plot. The bulk of the article however records how the American authorities failed to detect a similar plot in New Jersey with tragic consequences.
Learning point #1; The Australian Government & LEO’s can be trusted to protect us. The American Government protecting you, meh not so much so you need those guns.
My turn. Read more: http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/world/this-is-what-happens-when-americans-try-to-take-police-matters-into-their-own-hands/story-fnihsmjt-1227563584461
Learning point #2; The Courier MaiI newspaper in Australia is hardly left wing. It’s owned by that well known American media magnate Rupert Murdoch. The article records the average Aussies disbelief in how the Wild West has returned.
In conclusion, I return to those pesky statistics. Yes we have had I think 2 deadly terrorist / religious extremist attacks in Australia recently. “Be alert & not alarmed” is working for us. The issue we have is to defuse radicalisation of disaffected youth. How many American have lost their lives to gun violence in the 12 months since your article was published?
If a pussy in American slang is someone who goes for reason, logic & personal responsibility over “shoot them before they shoot you” then I’m guilty as charged Judge.
Chip Casey October 6th, 2015 at 12:51
Australia did have a reduction in gun violence only to have it ride with other instruments of force. It also upped the number of victims who could no longer fight back. It was only successful if you look on the surface and are not willing to dig into what really happened after they confiscated guns. This doesn’t even mention the defenseless British to the take over of their country by Muslims and the huge rise in rape all over europe by Muslim men. Their countries are being taken over without a shot fired. The govt did them a huge disservice taking their guns.
Applecorped October 7th, 2015 at 09:43
Hey kids, have you solved the problem yet?