America's powerful pro-gun lobby group the National Rifle Association has again taken aim at Australia's gun laws, this time targeting the buyback scheme launched in the wake of the Port Arthur massacre. The NRA posted a video on its official YouTube page on Thursday featuring President Barack Obama and Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton discussing Australia's gun laws. "Certainly, the Australian example is worth looking at," Mrs Clinton says in the clip. The clip then uses a series of government advertisements from Australia's 1996 gun buyback, to show "what they're talking about when they're talking about Australia". Over a dramatic soundtrack, parts of the newspaper ads are highlighted, including warnings that failure to comply with new gun laws could result in jail time. "If you own a gun which you keep to protect yourself, your family or your property, you must dispose of it legally," is one phrase highlighted. "Personal and property protection are no longer considered acceptable reasons to possess any type of firearm." The video ends with an ominous warning that "when they're talking about AUSTRALIA, they're talking about BANS and CONFISCATIONS." The Howard-government buyback scheme was launched after Martin Bryant shot 35 people dead and wounded another 23 during a shooting spree at the historic Port Arthur penal colony site, in Tasmania's south. Bryant was armed with two semi-automatic rifles and was able to shoot 20 of his victims in the first 90 seconds of the massacre. Then-prime minister John Howard announced new gun laws 12 days after the massacre that banned semi-automatic rifles and shotguns, and the government bought and destroyed 643,726 weapons in the subsequent buyback. Although controversial at the time, the buyback has been credited with stopping mass shootings in Australia and reducing gun homicides and suicide. The NRA's video appears to have been effective, with supporters flooding the comments section and describing images of guns being destroyed as "disturbing". "After reading those headlines in those Australian papers, just imagine our government trying that shit," Dane Earley wrote. "Americans would go insane with rage. Not going to happen here without a blood bath."﻿ The NRA has long targeted Australia, using it in scare campaigned against gun control as far back as 2000. In November last year, pro-gun NSW Liberal Democrats senator David Leyonhjelm appeared in an NRA video slamming Australia as a "nation of victims". "We love the NRA here in Australia amongst us gun owners and in fact we rely on you guys to also help us hold the line in Australia," he says in the clip. A service will be held at Port Arthur on April 28 to mark the 20th anniversary of the massacre.

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