Maybe I’m cynical but...
I suspect this report was made for the purpose of justifying an even more draconian ban next time around.
It’s the typical liberal philosophy - if our policies didn’t work, then it wasn’t the policy, it was because we didn’t go far enough.
That's the way I read it too. There was a drop in crime during that period, but none of it can be attributed to the AWB. But maybe if the law were more restrictive, it might work better than it didn't work the first time. Some kind of weird liberal logic, I guess.