Overview

• Vice President Kamala Harris advocated for stricter gun control policies in the U.S., citing Australia's laws as a successful model, after a mass shooting in Maine resulted in 18 fatalities and left more than a dozen injured.
• Harris characterized gun violence as the leading cause of death among children in the U.S. and stated that the frequency of mass shootings in the country is not a necessity, as demonstrated by Australia's relative absence of similar incidents.
• Australia's gun control measures, enacted in the 1990s, include comprehensive regulations such as mandatory gun buybacks, bans on certain firearms, a stringent application process for a license, and the requirement of registering each owned firearm individually.
• Self-defense is not recognized as an adequate reason for gun ownership under Australian law, which, as praised by Harris during her address at a State Department luncheon, is in stark contrast to U.S. legislation.
• Despite the Australian model and the high-profile incident in Maine, the country's gun laws have been fiercely protected by the Republican Party and the National Rifle Association, presenting a potential hurdle to any advocacy for stricter domestic gun control policies.