Key Points
- Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says Australia has benefitted from having strong gun laws
- He said it is not in the interest of peace and security to talk up issues of potential conflict with China
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has addressed the United States' history of mass shootings, suggesting Australia's experience shows stronger regulation to reduce access to firearms would mean “less tragedy” for the country.
He made the comments in an interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper, where Australia’s new prime minister was questioned about key issues that resonated with an American audience.
He was asked about his reaction to watching the United States struggling to address mass shootings in the country as an outsider with Australia’s perspective.
“Every one of these tragedies is heartbreaking and every one of these tragedies keeps reinforcing as an outsider the fortunate position Australia is in of having these strong gun controls,” he told CNN.
“I would just say people should look at our experience — it’s up to the United States as a sovereign nation what direction it takes of course.
“The truth is that Australia’s experience shows less guns — particularly less automatic weapons — the less crime occurs and the less tragedy occurs.”
Australia moved to pass strict new gun laws, banning semi-automatic weapons and pump action firearms, after 35 people were killed in the Port Arthur mass shooting in 1996.
It also implemented a gun buyback scheme in 1996 and 1997 allowing owners of weapons to surrender their weapons and receive compensation.
US President Joe Biden has been pushing for a ban on assault weapons on the back of growing American outrage propelled by recent mass shootings.
The US House of Representatives on Friday passed legislation banning assault-style rifles, but in the Senate the laws would face a likely defeat to opposition.
In the wide ranging interview, Mr Tapper also asked Mr Albanese about China’s recently “flexing its military muscle” in the region.
“We want to have good relationships with China and cooperate where we can but we’ll stand up for Australian values where we must,” Mr Albanese replied.
He was also questioned about a warning from the director of the Central Intelligence Agency, William Burns, that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine meant the prospect of Beijing using force to seize Taiwan was now a question of “how and when”, not if.
“We’re not dealing with hypotheticals,” Mr Albanese said.
“Australia supports a one-China policy but we also support the status quo when it comes to the issue of Taiwan.
“I have taken the view as well that it is not in the interest of peace and security to talk up those issues of potential conflict.”
US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi will start a tour of four Asian countries on Sunday, with speculation circling she could visit the self-ruled island of Taiwan.
A visit by Ms Pelosi would be a dramatic, though not unprecedented, show of US support for Taiwan.
Republican Newt Gingrich was the last House speaker to visit Taiwan — in 1997.
Mr Tapper also asked Mr Albanese about whether the impact of the 6 January insurrection on the US capitol in Washington had fuelled concerns over the health of democracy in the United States.
“Democracy in the United States remains strong,” he said.
“The United States remains a beacon for the world in terms of democratic nations.”
