The Australian Medical Association has weighed in to the heated politics of Australia's gun laws, saying ownership restrictions should be tightened and a real-time national firearms register established.
A new position statement issued by the health lobby group on Tuesday – its first ever on the issue of gun ownership – calls for a tightening of existing restrictions to avoid adapted guns or new models being allowed into Australia and for any efforts to wind back mandatory cooling off periods to be opposed.
Citing a patchwork approach to firearm regulation among the states and territories after the landmark Howard government gun laws were introduced following the 1996 Port Arthur massacre, the AMA said access to dangerous weapons remained a serious public health concern.
But pro-gun libertarian and NSW Liberal Democrat David Leyonhjelm said the organisation was not qualified to debate gun ownership, accusing the doctors of including errors and poor research in the position paper.
"It falls into the category of what the difference is between God and a doctor," Senator Leyonhjelm said. "God doesn't think he's a doctor."
The statement says a more restrictive definition of "genuine reasons" is needed for individuals to purchase firearms and calls for licences to be cancelled and weapons seized when registered owners fail to update their address or location of weapons.
It says gun licences should be refused to individuals who are subject to restraining orders or who have a conviction for firearms offences or violence within the past five years, and calls for a new ban on the manufacture and sale of 3D printed weapons.
The proposed real-time firearms licensing register would incorporate existing information, including the owner's name and address, weapon type, action and calibre, serial numbers and compliance with storage requirements.
Last month, state and territory leaders moved to place the restrictive D classification on the controversial seven-shot Adler shotgun, with the higher-capacity weapon limited to professional shooters with an occupational need for the gun.
It followed a messy internal brawl within the Coalition, including a spat between Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and his predecessor Tony Abbott who denied making a deal to lift the import ban to secure passage of legislation in the Senate.
AMA president Michael Gannon said there were as many as six million guns held illegally in Australia
"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," he said.
"Restricting access to firearms reduces the risk of impulsive purchase and use of guns, and their use in intentional acts of violence, including suicide."
Senator Leyonhjelm said academic research had shown changes to gun laws were ineffective in reducing suicide, and that trends in gun deaths continued on an existing downward trajectory after the Howard reforms.
He questioned how existing laws would be tightened and said impulsive purchases of guns were already impossible in Australia while gun importation and sales were strictly controlled.
"They're doctors. Their qualifications are in fixing up people who are sick or injured, but just because they would be patching someone up who was shot doesn't mean they're any good at preventing them getting shot in the first place," he said.
"The AMA should stick to what they're good at and stay out of areas where they're not competent."
