Pro-gun senator David Leyonhjelm has claimed Australia is a 'nation of victims' following the Sydney cafe siege. Courtesy AM/ABC

A PRO-guns Senator believes Australia is a “nation of victims” because citizens, like the hostages in the Sydney siege, were unable to properly defend themselves.

According to the Liberal Democrat’s David Leyonhjelm, those held against their will were helpless because they were unable to arm themselves.

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“What happened in that cafe would be most unlikely to have occurred in Florida, Texas, or Vermont, or Alaska in America, or perhaps even Switzerland as well,” Senator Leyonhjelm told ABC Radio — adding at least “one or two” there would have had a concealed gun.

“That nutcase who held them all hostage wouldn’t have known they were armed and bad guys don’t like to be shot back at,” he said.

Senator Leyonhjelm argued it would have been illegal for any of those inside the Lindt café to have had a “knife, a stick, a pepper spray, a personal taser, mace, anything like that for self-defence”.

It’s an “absolute travesty”, he said.

“To turn an entire population into a nation of victims is just unforgivable in my estimation.”

Hoplophobia = an irrational fear of guns. In which being killed by a lunatic is preferred to having the means to save your own life. — David Leyonhjelm (@DavidLeyonhjelm) December 17, 2014

Interesting. Anti-gun fanatics are threatening me and my staff with violence. Maybe they'd just prefer to ban disagreement. — David Leyonhjelm (@DavidLeyonhjelm) December 17, 2014

The long-time crusader for changes to gun control laws, believes recent tougher reforms did nothing to prevent the actions of Man Haron Monis.

“They didn’t prevent him from getting a gun. It’s just not acceptable that we are all disarmed victims.”

Bill Shorten said he disagreed with Senator Leyonhjelm’s view.

“I don’t see how providing more guns into the population would make us safer,” the Opposition Leader told ABC Radio.

Mr Shorten said the proportion of gun deaths in Australia is “far less” than in the US.

But he did admit “we’ve got to review” whether gun laws need to be tightened.

“One question here is are the laws adequate, the next question is are the laws enforced,” the Labor leader said, but insisted the debate needs to be “calm”.

Former Prime Minister John Howard insisted more guns were not the answer.

That’s a “a very simplistic and flawed analysis,” he told ABC Radio.

Mr Howard said while he agreed with Senator Leyonhjelm on some issues, he didn’t with this one.

It’s “an exercise of logic” that “the more guns that are in the community, the greater the likelihood of mass murder,” he said.

“Most Australians are sensible, they understand that the fewer guns that are in the community, the fewer gun related deaths there will be.”

The man responsible for reforming gun laws in the wake of the Port Arthur massacre, said they are “praised” by other countries and have made Australia “safer”.

Yesterday Tony Abbott said a review he’s ordered into the incident needs to examine how he came to have a gun license.

According to a spokesperson for the Prime Minister, Commonwealth security officials had told Mr Abbott said that the National Police Reference System indicated he had been a recorded NSW firearms licence holder.

“I was incredulous and exasperated,” Mr Abbott told 2GB radio, about Monis being out in the community on bail.

“It was extraordinary that he was on our streets.”

The Prime Minister described the siege as a “horrific wake up call”.

He expressed his belief that most migrants to Australia come and join “Team Australia”.

But Mr Abbott noted there are also “born and bred” Australians who game the welfare system.

Hockey: Govt frustrated Man Monis was able to carry out Sydney Siege Federal Treasurer Joe Hockey says the Govt are very frustrated that Man Haron Monis slipped through the cracks of intelligence before the Sydney Siege. Courtesy: Sunrise/Channel Seven

This morning Treasurer Joe Hockey told Channel Seven how authorities missed Monis “is a source of immense frustration ... given that we’ve given more resources to our security agencies”.

The Greens strongly reject the idea that making Australia more like the US will create a safer society.

Acting party leader Adam Bandt believes the aftermath of the Sydney siege is Tony Abbott’s Port Arthur moment.

“In the wake of the Port Arthur massacre John Howard did the right thing,” Mr Bandt told the ABC.

“He said, ‘this is a tragedy and shows what happens when someone who is unstable gets access to a gun’.

“Tony Abbott needs to take a leaf out of John Howard’s book.”