User:Mozart/Firearms

General principles

Any legislation must be as simple and clear as possible.
Firearms licensing schemes must be simple, effective and evidence-based.
Firearms licensing and sales must not be arbitrary.
General uniformity and reciprocity between states and territories is desirable, but states and territories should still retain some control.
The general feeling of safety within Australian society must be maintained.
A person's access to firearms should be prevented or restricted if they pose a genuine risk to the safety of others.
Firearms should not be confiscated unless they have been illegally obtained, are improperly stored, or their owners or operators pose a genuine risk to the safety of others.
Efficient, expedient and thorough background checks should be made at the time a firearm is purchased to ensure that a person does not pose a genuine risk to the safety of others.

Between 1989 and 2012, knives were used more often than firearms in homicides. Source.
Between 1989 and 2007, the use of knives in homicides increased slightly. Source.
Between 1989 and 2007, the use of firearms in homicides halved. Source.
The decrease in the use of firearms in homicides became more steady from 1996 onwards. Source.
The use of firearms in homicides has steadily decreased since about 1971. Source.
From 1993 to 2007 the number of murders was generally consistent, with a downward trend beginning in 1999. Source.
From 1995 to 2006 there was a sharp increase in the use of handguns in homicides. Source.
The worst massacre, mass murder or killing spree in Australia since 1950 was the Port Arthur Massacre in 1996. Source.
Australia has not experienced a comparable shooting incident since the Port Arthur Massacre. Source.
Firearms have been used in only a small number of violent crimes between 1995 and 2013. Source.

Is firearms registration necessary?
How can we ensure that background checks reveal all matters relevant to determining whether a person poses a genuine risk to the safety of others?
Comparing firearms to other weapons, what is the total number of victims per incident?