On 28 of April 1996, one man killed 35 people and wounded another 23 with semi-automatic rifles at Port Arthur, Tasmania. It remains the deadliest massacre in modern Australian history.

Four days after the killings, then-Prime Minister John Howard promised to “significantly strengthen laws relating to gun control in Australia”. This was an act of political courage; gun control was unpopular with many supporters of Mr Howard’s government.

On 10 May, just 12 days after the massacre, the Howard Government announced the National Firearms Agreement (NFA), a suite of measures from the federal, state, and territory governments designed to strengthen Australia’s gun control laws. The main elements of the agreement included:

·       A ban on some categories of firearms, including semiautomatic assault rifles like those used at Port Arthur

·       A temporary firearms buyback program for the newly banned weapons

·       A national firearm register

·       A 28-day waiting period for firearm purchases

·       Tightened licencing rules (including a ban on licences for those under 18).

The agreement was reconfirmed by all jurisdictions in 2017, however some of its resolutions remain unimplemented including the creation of the National Firearm Registry. Others have been implemented inconsistently across Australia’s states and territories, such as under 18 firearm use, hampering their effectiveness.

Nearly thirty years later, Australia’s firearm laws are not living up to the promise of the Howard Government’s bravery.