I was just thinking the same thing. Unfortunately Australia was a very different environment to that in the US at present (very small hunting/sports shooting culture given an almost entirely urban population, broad public support, a parliamentary system such that the executive branch could easily pass the required legislation - although I recall it had bipartisan support, lack of a constitutional right to arms etc.)

At the core of it though, I do believe the pervasive culture of fear in the US and the media that supports it renders any progress on serious gun control nearly impossible.

We seem to have a real problem with police misusing tasers atm. They see them as non-lethal and deploy them without hesitation despite proper training. Several people have been killed by police tasering already subdued suspects multiple (sometimes dozens) of times.

That's because everything in Australia can kill you - guns aren't necessary

</sarcasm>