Yes, it was really sad when that happened.
The new Prime Minister had just taken over the top job only a few days before
and had to do something about gun reform immediately or he could of easily lost his new job.

Bryant (the murderer) should have been shot on site. When they took him to hospital to treat
him for major burns to his back, the nurses and doctors refused to treat him but were
forced to after stop work meetings with the medical board threatened to sue them if they didn't comply.

I guess it was a rare situation because Bryant had the fortune or misfortune
of coming into a lot of money, through inheritances, which allowed him to buy
a huge cache of assault style weapons. No background checks were ever done on him
when he was buying the arms. He had a long history of mental illness from childhood
and should never have been allowed to purchase a sling-shot let alone high powered automatic weapons.

If those laws were in place before the Port Arthur massacre, there's a high chance the damage may not of been so bad
but who knows, money will buy most things- legal or illegal.