Yesterday's Port Arthur massacre was the worst multiple killing in the worl, Gun Control Australia president John Crook said in Melbourne yesterday.
Mr Crook said the previous worst multiple killings in the world were the shooting deaths of 22 people in Killeen, Texas, in 1991 and the McDonald's restaurant shooting deaths of 21 people in San Isidoro, California, in 1984.
Mr Crook said the massacre had pushed up the numbers of deaths from gun massacres in Australia since January 1987 to about 125.
Mr Crook said Tasmania's current liberal attitude to high-powered semi-automatic guns was only matched by Queensland. He said in other states, semi-automatic guns were listed as prohibited weapons and/or had other conditions governing their distribution and use, including limits to the number of bullets in magazines.
Mr Crook said it was common knowledge Victorians travelled to Tasmania to obtain semi-automatic guns.
[no image]