PART 2. Part 1 of this article can be read here.
It is not a right to possess firearms and firearms licences. It is a privilege and a responsibility. Sadly, a small per cent of gun owners intentionally use the weapons in their possession for nefarious, criminal purposes. Part 2 of my argument for introducing caps on guns owned by individuals in Tasmania discusses the criminal element present in gun ownership by some in our society.
The argument for restricting firearm ownership numbers s supported by statistics. Australian Institute of Criminology statistics show that gun thefts rising. In Tasmania, police say an average on three guns are used in robberies. In July 2026, an ABC news item quoted a Tasmanian police spokesman confirming that gun thefts in Tasmania are rising, reflecting the national trend. The police spokesman described the trend as “very concerning”, and called for the state government to consider caps on firearm ownership.
Use of firearms is a known risk factor for intimate partner homicide. Nationally, firearms are involved in more than half of fatalities of women (Petrosky 2017).
The Australian Gun Safety Alliance 2025 estimates there are between 250,000 and 500,000 guns owned by Australians. Crucially, the average possessor of illegal guns has four to five, and some had more than 250.
There was a recent theft of 15 guns from a licensed gun holder in Tasmania.
Increased numbers are testing our gun laws and public safety approach. When there’s no cap on the number of firearms a person, the risk to public safety grows.
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Most gun owners act responsibly, but the increase in gun numbers is concerning. Are our current laws keeping pace with firearm crimes and the increase of guns in the community?
It is not a right to possess firearms and firearms licences, it’s a privilege. Licencing enables government and police to better monitor the number of guns in the community.
Reform is needed to address the rising rates of criminality and the rising potential for terrorism and domestic violence.
I suggest effective reform would look like this:
Accelerate the launch of a national firearms register and streamline police checks and firearms background checks into a national registry database.
Limit the number of guns per person. As of August 2026, Western Australia is the only jurisdiction with a cap on the number of firearms a licence holder can own.
Further restrict the types of weapons that are legal, and tighten control of imports on higher powered weapons.
Tighten licensing regulations.
Tighten monitoring of anyone with a protection order against them or DV charges against them. Anyone convicted of domestic violence where a gun was involved should never again be allowed a licence.
Police should direct their focus on criminal access as much as penalising licensed gun owners. Punish the perpetrator of the crime. Again, I believe stricter searches of those applying for gun licenses must be implemented so that criminals are detected.
I feel that consideration of access to firearms should be more nuanced than it currently is with increased focus on a broader demographic including farmers, recreational shooters and hunters, any individual applying for a licence and not just terrorists and criminals in general.
Tougher penalties imposed after a tragic event such as the Bondi shooting are shutting the gate after the horse has bolted. Prevention rather than response to any tragedy involving firearms is far more effective.
For those seeking more information, I direct you to the Gun Control Australia website where there is an abundance of information to strengthen the argument for tighter regulations.
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Deborah Thomson is a former holder of a firearms licence, and a survivor of gun violence.
