Canberra, Dec 18 (IANS): Calm and measured discussion about the right to "practical self-defence" was necessary in the wake of the Sydney terrorist siege, a pro-gun Australian senator said Thursday.

David Leyonhjelm, the federal crossbench senator for the Liberal Democrats, said Australians were a nation of "disarmed victims," unable to protect themselves with weapons, reports Xinhua.

The Sydney siege, which left three people dead, would not have happened in Texas or Florida, he said.

"What happened in that cafe would have been most unlikely to have occurred in Florida, Texas or Vermont or Alaska in America, or perhaps even Switzerland as well," Leyonhjelm told ABC.

The senator said it was "unforgivable" that Australia had turned into "a nation of victims".

"It would have been illegal for them to have had a knife, a stick, a pepper spray, a personal taser, mace, anything like that for self-defense," he said. "I regard that (as) an absolute travesty.

"(Tougher laws) didn't prevent him (the gunman) from getting a gun. It's just not acceptable that we are all disarmed victims."