Guns risk to public health
In the nearly 21 years since the Port Arthur tragedy, gun deaths in Australia have halved, thanks to the National Firearms Agreement.
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However, the AMA is concerned by ongoing attempts by some groups to water down the NFA.
There is a legitimate role for guns in agriculture, regulated sport, and for the military and police, but gun possession in the broader community is a risk to public health.
Doctors in emergency departments, in operating theatres, and in general practice are there to pick up the pieces when guns are misused. The AMA will always speak out forcefully about anything that stops people ending up suffering the carnage that puts them in hospital emergency departments, or on the operating table.
It is estimated that there are anywhere between 260,000 and six million guns held illegally in Australia. And most gun-related deaths in Australia are suicides within the families of gun owners.
Restricting access to firearms reduces the risk of impulsive use of guns, and their use in intentional acts of violence, including suicide.
The AMA commends the decision of state and territory leaders at the December Council of Australian Governments (COAG) meeting to withstand political pressure and impose stricter controls over the lever action Adler shotgun. We also welcome their agreement to a national gun amnesty this year.
The AMA calls for tighter restrictions on the definition of a “genuine reason” to purchase a firearm, and greater efforts to restrict weapons from entering the country illegally. We also call for a real-time, readily accessible National Firearms Licensing Register to be established, incorporating state and territory information for all types of firearms and other lethal weapons.
The AMA is not for one minute calling for guns to be removed from their proper users. Farmers need guns. Law enforcement and the military need guns. Sporting shooters need guns.
What we don’t want is a position where a lethal weapon is in the wrong hands. So if someone’s circumstances change, if they have a restraining order against them, if they have a criminal conviction, we need to know whether they have a gun licence and whether or not they have a weapon potentially at their fingertips.
You can read the full AMA Position Statement on Firearms 2017 on our website.
Dr Michael Gannon, Australian Medical Association president
Gun stance reassuring
Memo to Senator David Leyonhjelm: preventative healthcare refers to measures taken for ill-health prevention as opposed to ill-health treatment, and is a core area of expertise for doctors.
Strict gun control legislation means less people being “shot in the first place” leading to less people needing “patching up” by doctors. The AMA’s call for tighter gun ownership laws is reassuring evidence of the competence of its members.
Michelle Goldsmith, Eaglehawk
Council breath of fresh air
I agree with Michael McKenzie's comments in the Bendigo Advertiser.
It is refreshing and very encouraging to see our new mayor explaining how the new councillors will take on a greater leadership role in Bendigo, and that there is a wider spread of councillors, who more fully represent the residents.
I was a staunch opponent of the previous council, after the blatant mishandling of the mosque application, and the refusal to consider the residents before demolishing the Kangaroo Flat facility. It is like a breath of fresh air to have a new council who are worth giving our support.
I, for one, am a bit excited about our new councillors. I reckon this council might just put Bendigo back on its feet.