Members of the public look at floral tributes placed near the cafe where hostages were held for over 16-hours, in central Sydney December 16, 2014. Heavily armed Australian police stormed a Sydney cafe early on Tuesday morning and freed terrified hostages
Members of the public look at floral tributes placed near the cafe where hostages were held for over 16-hours, in central Sydney December 16, 2014. Heavily armed Australian police stormed a Sydney cafe early on Tuesday morning and freed terrified hostages held there at gunpoint, in a dramatic end to a 16-hour siege in which two captives and the attacker were killed. REUTERS/David Gray (AUSTRALIA - Tags: CIVIL UNREST POLITICS)

Australia's gun laws are in the spotlight, following the Sydney siege tragedy. A former deputy mayor in Australia has urged the lifting of gun restrictions in ight of the Sydney siege aftermath. Nick Adams claimed that Australians may be having a change of heart about gun control.

Adams appeared in a Fox News interview and called on the Australian government to lift the gun ban because he believes citizens have the right to arm themselves for protection. As reported by the Daily Mail, he claimed that Australians have begun to realise that the "bad guys" should not be the only people that carry guns after the bloody outcome in Martin Place. Adams believes that Australia's gun laws should be back on the government's agenda.

Meanwhile, an anti-weapons group is also calling for a review of gun laws after the deadly siege in Australia. Advocates blamed the blackmarket in illegal weapons and the right-to-arms lobby for undermining gun laws.

According to Newsweek, Australian police have not yet revealed how the gunman, Man Haron Monis, had obtained the weapon he used in the siege. Advocates have also called for authorities to trace stolen weapons and ensure compliance of prohibiting the licencing of semi-automatic rifles and some shotguns to civilians.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has recently announced that a joint federal and state investigation will be conducted as to how the hostage-taker was able to obtain a gun licence and why he was dropped from the security watchlist in 2009.

The Guardian reported that the joint investigation will review Monis' history in Australia, including his successful asylum application, permanent residency and citizenship. Mr Abbott acknowledged that there were questions to ask when someone like Monis who has a history of extremism, crime and mental instability was issued a gun licence. However, NSW police said the state's firearms registry was checked for an issuance of licence to Monis, but there was no such record.

The Guardian has confirmed that Monis was in possession of a security licence in NSW between 1999 and 2000, but he would still needed to apply for a separate firearm licence to be allowed to use a weapon. He would also need to prove he has valid reason to secure a licence. Under the NSW Firearm Act, the police commissioner has the authority to suspend a firearm licence if there are sufficient grounds.

When asked if Australia's gun laws were sufficient, Mr Abbott said the country already has "very tough" gun laws, but the more relevant question that everyone should be asking about is Monis' gun licence. The prime minister has vowed he will not rest until he is confident that Australians will feel safe as they can be.

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