Matt Damon calls for immediate gun ban in the US

Matt Damon has called for an immediate gun ban in America.

The actor, who returns to the big screen as trained assassin Jason Bourne later this month, made the statement while promoting his movie in Australia.

In an interview with a reporter from the Sydney Morning Herald, Damon said: “You guys did it here in one fell swoop and I wish that could happen in my country, but it’s such a personal issue for people that we cannot talk about it sensibly. We just can’t.”

“People get so emotional that even when you make a suggestion about not selling AK47s to people on terror watch lists, that’s a non-starter. I don’t know what needs to happen. 

“Obviously mass shootings aren’t going to do it. There have been so many of them at this point. Sandy Hook, when those children were murdered, if that didn’t do it, you know, I just don’t know. 

“Maybe we just need to evolve further before we can have that conversation, I don’t know.”

Australia passed the National Firearms Agreement in 1996 just 12 days after what became known as the Port Arthur massacre.

In that mass shooting, a 28-year-old man opened fire at the popular Port Arthur tourist destination killing 35 people and wounding 23 others. 

John Howard, Australia’s prime minister at the time, proposed the new bill within days and it received immediate bipartisan support from the country’s politicians.

Australians are now restricted from owning semi-automatic weapons and there is a a 28-day waiting period on all weapons. Buyers must also be at least 18, have a storage locker for their gun and give a valid reason for purchasing the firearm.

Since its passage there has not been a single mass shooting in Australia.