'I had to act' John Howard on Port Arthur
20 years on from the Port Arthur Massacre, John Howard says his greatest achievement as Prime Minister was enforcing the gun laws that prevented more slaughter of innocent people.
In an interview to mark the 20th anniversary of the April 1996 mass killing in Port Arthur, the man who disarmed the country reflected on the horrible events that occurred just six weeks into his first term as Prime Minister.
Despite his new appointment he was determined that such an act would not occur again in Australia.
"This was the largest number of people who had been killed by one individual in a single murderous act in the history of mankind," John Howard told Sunday Night.
'I had to act'
"I don't believe anyone should have guns, other than the farmers to single shot, to um destroy sick animals, police and army. Not even security people. I'm against guns completely."
By the end of that bloody Sunday, Martin Bryant had shot and killed 35 men, women and children.
In police interviews recently revealed by Sunday Night,Bryant could be seen laughing as he was questioned about his reign of terror.
Walter Mikac lost his wife and two daughters, Alannah and Madeline, that day and said he felt cheated by the world.
He wrote to Mr Howard to ask him to take action, his words a reflection of Howard's own feelings.
"I thought, look I'm just going to write a one page letter, about the impact of this on me and for what it's worth I'm going to send it off," Walter said.
"That letter started, Dear Mr Howard, You know as a father I've lost my children I've lost my wife at Port Arthur and I plead with you to do something about the gun laws that allowed this to be able to happen."
John Howard responded with a phone call to Walter to assure him of his plans.
"Despite his immense grief, he looked ahead… that was impressive to say the least," Howard said.
The PM prevailed – winning over State Premiers, many with a lot to lose— as swags of regional Australians got angry, demanding the right to own guns.
But those who were at the massacre knew it was the only way to prevent such a slaughter again.
Paramedic Peter James had to attend each and every scene of death that day and it changed him forever.
"I was told that the person that goes into the Broad Arrow Café won’t be the same person that comes out again. That was true."
"I’ve seen one old lady, she’s looked up and he’s got her right through the forehead, you know. Just, people in mid-stride with burgers still in their hand."
"Stephen King couldn’t write a novel like it," the paramedic said of the scene.
Mr Howard imposed a buy-back scheme and all rifles and semi-automatics surrendered by the public were destroyed.
The 1996 "National Firearms Buyback Scheme" took 660,959 firearms out of private homes.
Then in 2003 new handgun laws made it illegal to own target pistols of greater than .38 calibre and most handguns and another buyback was initiated.
It is a program that has been extremely successful in Australia, with no mass shootings occurring in the last 20 years, but similar attempts have failed in other countries.
After they lost so much in the Port Arthur tragedy, Walter Mikac and survivors Gaye and John Fidler set up the Alannah and Madeline Foundation.
Across Australia, the foundation works against bullying in thousands of schools. And its buddy bag program has provided 60,000 backpacks, full of clothes, books and teddy bears, for kids caught in the tragedy of domestic violence.
The foundation has launched a petition - Keep Our Gun Laws Strong - to fight against attempts to dilute gun control.
To join the petition - and to help the foundation's work with kids, click here to visit the website.
