There is a rule of thumb with judging all public policy proposals in Australia: a policy which makes us more like the US is a bad policy.

Well it's horses for courses. Policies which suit a different country might not suit us. For example, we have far fewer people, so can't afford 40,000 gun deaths a year the way they can

Really. So using independent judgement as to whether or not a given policy is good or bad for the citizens of Australia is not used, rather you avoid using the policies of what is by objective measure the most successful society on Earth? Stupid does not even start to cover it.