Police want GPs to decide who can own guns — but can anybody predict violence?Â
Experts are concerned new gun licence requirements could stigmatise mental health
Australia hit a milestone of sorts two years ago — the number of registered firearms across the country ticked over 3.5 million.
It was notable for exceeding the 3.2 million licensed guns in circulation before the 1996 Port Arthur massacre, after which 650,000 guns were thrown into furnaces under the national firearms buyback scheme.
The data, compiled by University of Sydney researchers, showed the number of gun owners remained low — just three per 100 Australians — but each person owned more guns apiece.
This month, the WA Government said it would introduce mandatory mental health checks for people wanting a gun license, due to concerns over increased violence — both harm to others and self-harm.
