Senior Nationals Senator Bridget McKenzie and Labor MP Dan Repacholi on Wednesday fronted the media to promote the national firearms register.

The registry was a crucial component of the groundbreaking National Firearms Agreement established after the 1996 Port Arthur massacre. Still, it has never been implemented, as each state and territory maintains its own registries.

“So, considering that, we must question why the national gun registry is being advocated now, since it’s evident that this measure cannot prevent such incidents,” the expert stated.

Proponents of the national registry have pointed to the increasing number of guns in Australia in recent years as a reason to monitor 

Earlier this year, research by the Australia Institute revealed that Australia has over 4 million registered firearms, surpassing the number before the Port Arthur massacre and significantly more than the 2.5 million recorded in 1997.

Nonetheless, gun-related deaths have decreased from about 500 in 1996 to just over 200, with the death rate per 100,000 individuals reducing from 2.9 to approximately 0.6.

“Revising our approach to these issues could be advantageous,” McPhedran noted, highlighting that global evidence indicates that registering rifles and shotguns doesn’t substantially affect gun misuse.

“So instead of saying, ‘let’s have more gun laws’, let’s … look at that incident. 

“Let’s look at all of the circumstances that surrounded it and led up to it, and let’s look for real in-depth solutions, rather than these quick-fix responses that might make people feel good or might make people feel safe in the short term, but in the long term, are not necessarily the most effective or the most cost-effective way to go.”