‘Despite gun lobby claims to the contrary, stricter gun laws do work’ said GCA spokesperson Randy Marshall. ‘Although there are still some major weaknesses in our gun laws, there are encouraging signs that multiple gun killings have been reduced’. ‘In the decade before the new gun laws 13 people on average died each year in multiple killings, but in the three years since Port Arthur that figure is 5 killed per year’, said Mr Marshall.

Despite this we have seen many gun tragedies and an increasing propensity to handgun use. ‘ GCA has called on all chief police commissioners to support the formation of a handgun problem study group to be formed within the Police Ministers Council’ said Mr Marshall. ‘We must tackle the handgun problem before Australia starts taking the American path’.

‘Stricter gun laws over the past decade have seen the annual number of gun deaths reduced from almost 700 down to 450′. ‘Stricter gun laws have thus saved many hundreds of lives’ said Mr Marshall. ‘We ask our political leaders to enact even better gun laws by greatly increasing the demands on training and testing of shooters, so the annual gun deaths are reduced to no more than 300 in the first year of the new century’ said Mr Marshall. This is still a high figure, but If it can be achieved the deaths at Port Arthur will not have been in vain’.